Syrian Democratic Council refuses to allow voting in Syrian presidential elections
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, the Syrian Democratic Council(SDC) refused to participate in the presidential elections after Damascus requested to conduct them in the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria’s (AANES) areas.
The SDC said in a statement that it is not concerned with any elections that “do not fulfill the goals of the Syrians, their rights and political presence.”
“There will be no elections before the political solution in accordance with the international resolutions, the release of detainees, the return of the displaced, and establishment of new foundations for a political structure free of tyranny,” the statement added.
On May 26, presidential elections will be held in Syria. Abdullah Salloum Abdullah and Mahmoud Marei were accepted as candidates alongside the current president, Bashar Assad.
On Sunday, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Faisal Mekdad called on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to allow presidential elections in their areas and participate in them, “if it is democratic and of Syrian spirit.”
Mekdad’s speech came during a press conference while he was delivering the results of the voting in Syrian embassies to the Ministry of Justice, and was reported by several pro-government media outlets.
However, SDC’s statement indicated that it will not be a facilitator for any elections that contradict Resolution 2254.
In April, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric stated that the upcoming presidential elections in Syria are not part of the political process stipulated in UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
The statement added that despite the efforts of the SDC to negotiate with the Syrian government to make progress towards the political solution, this has not been accomplished “due to the government’s obstruction.”
The SDC considered “extremists of the regime and the opposition” to be responsible for all the crimes committed against the Syrians, and for hindering negotiations to reach a negotiated political solution according to Resolution 2254.