In a joint statement, 24 Kurdish political parties and movements condemned what they described as an attempt to reproduce policies of marginalization and exclusion against Kurds through the formation mechanism of the Syrian People’s Assembly. They asserted that limiting Kurdish representation to only four out of 210 seats constitutes a “flagrant circumvention” of demographic and political realities and paves the way for entrenched exclusion within Syrian state institutions in the future.
The text of the statement read:
“At a time when the Syrian people look forward to building a state of citizenship and true partnership—benefiting from the experience of the Democratic Autonomous Administration in representing all components in Rojava and North and East Syria, and building upon it to enrich the foundational process for a future Syria—there is a need to establish a comprehensive political path. This path should end decades of racist laws and demographic changes targeting the Kurdish people, who resisted the defunct regime and sacrificed thousands of martyrs and wounded during the Syrian revolution and the war against ISIS. This follows the fall of the defunct Ba’ath party regime, the annulment of those racist laws and projects against them, the restoration of their legitimate rights, and the creation of space for their participation in rebuilding the Syrian state anew. This is the required and just path to rebuild Syria on the foundations of justice and the attainment of rights.
However, the Damascus government has ignored all these facts and announced what it falsely calls ‘elections for the Syrian People’s Assembly.’ In reality, these are nothing more than a flimsy appointment process that has shackled the will of voters, reproduced mechanisms of national and political exclusion, and consolidated racist projects against Kurds. This includes the pre-appointment of an individual from the ‘Arab Al-Ghamar’ (Arab Belt) as a representative for Sere Kaniye in the Kurdish region—an attempt to integrate them as if they were a natural presence rather than the result of demographic change projects. Furthermore, the inclusion of numerous names from outside the governorate in the electoral college confirms the ill intentions of the Damascus government.
Limiting Kurdish representation to four meager seats out of 210 in the People’s Assembly represents a flagrant circumvention of the demographic and political realities on the ground. The Kurdish people in Rojava, Kurdistan—who constitute an authentic and historical component making up no less than 20% of Syria’s total population—are being deprived today, through these systematic appointments, of their true voice and their shared right to national decision-making.
Accordingly, we, the Kurdish political parties and forces, emphasize our absolute rejection of these appointments in their entirety. We consider the current distribution mechanism a continuation of racial marginalization policies aimed at eclipsing the Kurdish cause. We uphold our right to genuine parliamentary representation of no less than 40 seats for Kurdish individuals who adopt the just cause of their people as representatives of Rojava, Kurdistan—the Kurdish region—in line with the realistic population percentage of the Kurdish component.
Furthermore, we warn that the acceptance by any political or social parties of these four meager seats would represent a dangerous historical precedent. It would be used in the future to determine the quotas of the Kurdish component in all branches of the state, including sovereign positions, ministerial portfolios, and judicial and diplomatic institutions. This would constitute a political death sentence for the rights of future generations, and those parties would bear the historical responsibility for this action before the Kurdish people.
We clarify to public opinion that the granted seats do not express the free Kurdish will; rather, they are appointments, and no Kurdish entity has a popular mandate to accept them. They do not serve the aspirations of the Kurdish people to secure their rights in Syria.
Continuing these policies will only lead to deepening the Syrian crisis, undermining stability efforts, and fragmenting the social fabric.
We, in the Kurdish political parties, renew our pledge to continue the peaceful and popular struggle, in cooperation with all Syrian democratic forces, to impose a true national partnership and a modern constitution that recognizes the legitimate national rights of the Kurdish people and all Syrian components.
Long live a democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria.
Freedom and justice for our Kurdish people.”
Kurdish Parties and Movements Signatory to This Statement:
Democratic Union Party (PYD)
Democratic Green Party
Kurdistan Communist Party
Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria
Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party
Kurdish Left Party in Syria
Kurdish Democratic Left Party in Syria
Kurdistan Democratic Change Party
Kurdistan Renewal Movement
Kurdistan Laborers Union
Syrian Kurdish Democratic Accord Party
Reform Movement – Syria
Kurdistan Brotherhood Party
Roj Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria
Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM)
Kongra Star
Democratic Struggle Party
Kurdistan Future Movement
Kurdistan Democratic Party – West Kurdistan
Kurdistan National Assembly Party
Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (Al-Parti)
Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria
Kurdistan Conservative Party
Syrian Reform Current
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version: Click here
