KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – The new Social Contract, if endorsed, will contribute to eliminate bureaucracy, facilitate administrative dealings and achieve equality in terms of duties and rights for all the communities in the region, figures who participated in drafting the Social Contract of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said.
The Social Contract, which acts as northeast Syria’s constitution, is a set of theoretical and practical foundations, laws, and organizational rules which are established to determine the relationship between the administration and the people, and to clarify the rights and duties of individuals and officials within society.
Layla Ahmad, co-chair of Kobani Council Region, said they completed drafting the AANES Social Contract following sessions concluded to discuss its articles in accordance with principles of the old Social Contract.
“The new Social Contract includes changes that serve all communities in NE Syria. There are articles asserting the alienation of bureaucracy and facilitating administrative dealings through re-structuring the institutions,” she said.
“The AANES Social Contract will ensure the freedom of the political thinking and provide equality in the rights and duties,” she added.
According to the last draft, there won’t be difference among the regions in terms of “structure”. A fair representation for all communities in the duties and rights will be achieved through legal items, Ahmad noted.
“Articles of the Social Contract include regulating the social life by setting up communes, councils, academies, economic, social and institutional unions to consolidate the democratic regime.”
Additionally, the Social Contract achieves democracy on the basis of brotherhood of the nations, equality and the freedom of women. Such principles are difficult to obtain under the current shape, according to Ahmad.
Najat Mathla, director of Sara Organization to Combat Violence against Women and a representative of the civil society to draft the Social Contract, said the new Social Contract is a radical turning point and a gate to open on all Syrians.
“The new Social Contact paves the way for a unified constitution which ensures the safety and unity of all Syrian territories in the future,” Mathla added.
The participants discussed and amended the general principles to preserve the rights of all communities in NE Syria, she noted.
Mathla pointed out that the next phase includes proposing the draft on all the people by holding meetings with them to understand whatever criticism or notices they have concerning the articles. After that, the Social Contract will be re-displayed on the committee once again for more amendment.
“The new Social Contract contributes in achieving freedom, democracy, and peace on the principle of the brotherhood of the peoples, equality, social democracy and freedom of women.”
She indicated that the Social Contract would be of great importance in the Euphrates Region specially after facing difficulties under the current structure.
Hussein Sheikh, co-chair of the legislative council of the Euphrates Region, said the new Social Contract will help unify the rules across NE Syria so to be applied in all civil administrations, provinces and regions.
There is an almost radical change in terms of the administrations. The term “province” would be used instead of “region”, civil administration, and of the autonomous administration, according to the new contract, Sheikh added.
The Social Contract ensures the freedom of the political thinking through the freedom to form and establish political parties in accordance with “parties” law which will be issued later.
Plus, it ensures general rules to determine the shape of relationship between the AANES and the Syrian government on all levels, he said.
All of the elected administrations will be subject to monitoring by the parties they elected them. Trust can be pulled out from representatives of the administrations according to the law.
A court named “Court to Protect Social Contract” is approved and will be considered as a reference for all legal explanations of the Social Contract.