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August 27th, 2017 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : Hadiya Youssef, co-chair of the constituent assembly of the federal system established in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), under the auspices of the Syrian – Kurdish Patriotic Union Party (PYD), said local authorities in the region have begun preparations for three rounds of elections scheduled for September. Youssef assured that the PYD does not want to threaten the territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic but establish a regional form of governance.
Kurdish parties in Syria during a PYD organized rally in 2016.
Youssef spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a Syrian – Kurdish summit meeting in the city of Qamishli, saying “In this phase, we are outlining the electoral process by holding meetings with the local councils and societal stakeholders.” The meeting brought together leaders and representatives of Kurdish, Arab, Syriac and other parties from the region to discuss how each of the three electoral phases could be managed.
The first round on September 22, according to Youssef, would see residents vote for representatives on the neighborhood level. Elections for executive councils for towns and regions are planned for November 3. Then, on January 19, they would elect legislative councils for each of the three cantons, as well as a single joint legislative assembly. It’s worth noting that the independence referendum in the neighboring Kurdistan Autonomous Region of Iraq is scheduled for September 25 and elections in the Iraqi Kurdistan Autonomous Region are expected to be held in January 2018.
Youssef said “Every region will have its own legislative council, with the prerogative to set laws in the region as long as they do not contradict the social contract”. Legislative assemblies would have four-year terms, but local delegates and executive councils would have two-year terms. Taking advantage of the fact that the PYD’s military wings, the YPG and YPJ, as well as the YPG dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) seized large swaps of land from the Islamic State, the PYD and allied parties declared three autonomous cantons there in 2013.
The Syrian government in Damascus endorses the PYD – YPG/YPJ and the SDF’s fight against ISIS but stressed that it will not tolerate any separatist moves that would threaten the territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. Neighboring Turkey, for its part, denounces the PYD – YPG/YPJ as terrorist organizations allied and on par with Turkey’s outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). Turkey threatens to invade the region and prevent the establishment of any Kurdish entity along is border. Turkey’s military cooperates with the remnants of the Free Syrian Army and other insurgent groups to fight the YPG/YPJ.
In 2016 leading Kurdish and Arab parties in the region announced they would establish a “federal” system across the cantons, a declaration lambasted by Syria’s government, the Syrian Kurdish Council, and other regional rivals.
Youssef on Saturday defended the plan, saying it was not aimed at breaking Syria apart. Speaking with reporters Youssef said “Our federal system is geographic and does not aim to divide Syria. … The objections from the regime and opposition parties all say that they do not support Syria’s partition — neither do we.” The PYD has established three autonomous zones, or Cantons of Jazeera, Kobani and Afrin and a Kurdish government across Syrian Kurdistan in 2013. On March 17, 2016 Syria’s Kurds declared a federal region in Syrian Kurdistan.
On December 29, 2016 Syrian Kurds and their allies approved a blueprint for a system of federal government in Syrian Kurdistan. United States regards the PYD and its about 60,000 strong military wing YPG as key ally against Islamic State and the most effective fighting force against IS in Syria and has provided them with arms, air support as well as the military advisers. The YPG constitutes the main fighting force within the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
CH/L – nsnbc 27.08.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/08/27/elections-in-syrian-kurdistan-scheduled-for-september-hadiya-youssef/
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