HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian transitional government’s decision to postpone parliamentary elections—originally scheduled for mid-September in Suwayda, Hasakah, and Raqqa—until “appropriate conditions and a safe environment” are in place has drawn mixed reactions across political and social circles.
Legal and cultural experts have criticized the move as a case of “deliberate exclusion” of large parts of Syria, arguing that it renders the electoral process “devoid of legitimacy.”
Illegitimate elections
Khaled Jabr, a lawyer and legal expert from Hasakah, told North Press that the elections announced by Damascus “do not reflect the people’s will” and instead entrench “another form of dictatorship under a different guise.”
Jabr explained: “The Damascus government monopolizes decision-making, excluding the people from every process—whether drafting a transitional constitution, forming transitional justice bodies, or even appointing the president. All these measures constitute clear violations of the law.”
He added that the regions of North and East Syria “are not at all concerned with this electoral mechanism imposed by Damascus, as there is ongoing pressure to exclude them from participation. Essentially, the government seeks to reinforce authoritarianism, far removed from democracy and human rights.”
Jabr also warned that rising rhetoric of incitement and hatred against Syrian communities carries serious risks of cementing new forms of dictatorship.
On August 24, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) urged the international community and the United Nations not to recognize the planned parliamentary elections, arguing they do not reflect the will of Syrians and contradict the principles of a political solution under UN Resolution 2254.
The statement emphasized that unilateral decisions without genuine participation of all Syrian communities cannot be binding in North and East Syria.
Shadow lists and exclusion
Abdulwahab Birani, a researcher from Hasakah, said the electoral scene has remained largely unchanged for over five decades, with communities and representatives excluded through pre-prepared “shadow lists.”
He noted, “Elections cannot be legitimate without a genuine civil constitution that represents all communities and the Syrian people as a whole.”
Birani criticized the exclusion of major governorates such as Suwayda, Hasakah, and Raqqa under “a flimsy security pretext,” describing it as repeated marginalization that prevents the new parliament from representing Syrians or fulfilling their aspirations.
Marginalization of women
Fairoz Rashk, co-chair of the Intellectuals Union in Hasakah, said the elections continue a longstanding pattern of exclusion. She highlighted that the lack of recognition of the AANES and the obstruction of ongoing negotiations excludes three entire governorates, stripping the electoral process of legitimacy.
Rashk also criticized the allocation of only 20 percent of parliamentary seats to women as insufficient, reflecting further marginalization of women in political life.
“This policy excludes entire communities. Such elections will not represent the Syrian people, particularly the regions of North and East Syria,” She concluded.