Political parties: Parliamentary appointments entrench marginalization, exclusion

Political parties in the Jazira regions of Çil Agha, Derik, and Tirbespiye issued statements to the public regarding the parliamentary appointments (to the so-called Syrian People's Assembly) held on May 24 in Hasakah.

Çil Agha

In this context, five political parties in the city of Çil Agha — the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Modernity Party, the Green Party, and the Kurdistan Liberal Party — issued a joint statement at the office of the PYD in the city, read by PYD member Zaidan Hussein.

In their statement, the parties expressed rejection of the mechanism and distribution of the appointments, stating that it "did not do justice to the Kurdish people nor reflect their true size and historical role in the country."

The statement added that allocating an insufficient number of seats to the Kurdish component represents a continuation of policies of marginalization and exclusion, and contradicts the principles of justice and equality that any democratic political process must be based on.

The statement affirmed that any elections that do not ensure fair and balanced representation for all components, foremost the Kurdish people, will not be a step toward a solution but will deepen the political crisis and increase the loss of trust among national forces.

The statement concluded by declaring rejection of these appointments and demanding a reconsideration of seat distribution to ensure fair and true representation of the Kurdish people within a democratic national framework based on partnership and mutual recognition.

Derik

In the city of Derik, the joint statement was read by the co-chair of the PYD in Derik, Ciwan Hassan, in front of the Council of Martyrs' Families, with the participation of dozens of party members and representatives of service institutions.

The statement affirmed that the Syrian people, with all their components, lived for decades under tyranny, exclusion, and national and intellectual discrimination, and that the Kurdish component was among those most subjected to policies of marginalization and denial — whether through the deprivation of political and cultural rights, or through their exclusion from state institutions and denial of true representation.

The statement added that after the fall of the Assad regime and the accompanying hopes for building a new democratic Syria, it was expected that a phase of correcting historical wrongs and ending exclusion would begin. However, what has recently occurred regarding parliamentary appointments reveals the persistence of the same mentality that reproduces tyranny with different tools.

The statement pointed out that these appointments do not reflect the true will of Syrians but rather represent a continuation of the approach of marginalization, noting that limiting Kurdish representation to only four seats and imposing figures lacking popular legitimacy constitutes a deliberate reduction of the Kurdish component's role.

The statement affirmed rejection of these appointments and non-recognition of their results, noting that they lacked transparency and fair representation, and that any institution arising from a process lacking popular legitimacy cannot represent Syrians. It also stressed that building a democratic Syria cannot be achieved through appointments or superficial elections, but through a fair political process that guarantees partnership and mutual recognition.

Tirbespiye

In the city of Tirbespiye, Kurdish parties expressed their rejection of the recent parliamentary appointments, stating that they do not represent the Kurdish people nor reflect their political and national aspirations.

The parties affirmed in a statement read by Hussein Omar, an administrator in the PYD, that the interim government continues to flee forward and evade the requirements of a political solution, and that the procedures being followed constitute an extension of policies of exclusion and marginalization.

The statement noted that limiting Kurdish representation to only four seats represents a circumvention of demographic and political reality, and reflects a continuation of the policy of marginalization against the Kurds, who played a prominent role in the Syrian revolution and in the war against ISIS mercenaries.

The statement clarified that the Kurdish people have sacrificed thousands of martyrs and deserve fair representation proportionate to their size and historical role, warning that accepting "meager representation" would entrench marginalization in the future within Syria's state institutions.

In concluding their statement, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to the Kurdish people's right to genuine parliamentary representation of no less than 40 seats, calling for building a democratic, pluralistic, decentralized Syria based on justice, equality, and partnership among all components.

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ANHA