IDs centers of HTS in Syria’s Idlib witness poor turnout
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Registration centers, affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front), that offer ID cards, witness poor turnout in several areas in Idlib Governorate and its countryside, northwest Syria.
A local source told North Press, days after the Salvation Government, the civil wing of the HTS, announced that it had started receiving requests to obtain ID cards in its held-areas; there was no widespread turnout, especially in the cities of Idlib, al-Dana and Harem.
The poor turnout is due to the fact that most residents in the region do not need this card, especially since it is not recognized outside Idlib, in addition to the fact that it is not free of charge, as each ID card costs $2.5 (about 12.000 SYP), according to the source.
The residents see that they do not have to pay this amount, at such a time, as winter is coming and it will be harsh due to bad economic conditions in light of the great shortage of job opportunities, according to press reports.
The Salvation Government, led by Abu Muhammad al-Julani, was formed in November 2018, from 11 ministerial portfolios, and it controls a large part of civil and service institutions in Idlib and parts of Aleppo countryside.