Syrian Opposition Calls for Boycott of Presidential Elections

A man walks past a banner depicting Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, ahead of the May 26 presidential election, in Damascus, Syria May 22, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar
A man walks past a banner depicting Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, ahead of the May 26 presidential election, in Damascus, Syria May 22, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar
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Syrian Opposition Calls for Boycott of Presidential Elections

A man walks past a banner depicting Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, ahead of the May 26 presidential election, in Damascus, Syria May 22, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar
A man walks past a banner depicting Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, ahead of the May 26 presidential election, in Damascus, Syria May 22, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar

The Syrian Democratic Council (Masad) announced that it would not participate in the presidential elections on Wednesday, rejecting to play a role in an event that contravenes the spirit of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The Syriac Union Party called on the Assyrian people and all Syrians to boycott the elections, while the Democratic Union Party said that holding presidential elections would not contribute to resolving the crisis, adding that half of the Syrians were refugees or displaced.

In a statement published on its official account on Monday, Masad said that it was not concerned with any elections that do not meet the aspirations of the Syrian people.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Elham Ahmad, the Council’s executive chair, said: “We will not be part of the electoral process and our position is constant: no elections before a political solution in accordance with international decisions, the release of detainees, and the return of the displaced.”

The Syriac Union Party, one of the Christian parties established for the Autonomous Administration east of the Euphrates and which receives support from the international coalition led by Washington, called on all the Assyrian Syriac people and all Syrians to boycott the elections.

“Presidential elections in Syria come with the aim of consolidating the regime’s influence and domination over the areas it controls; it is an attempt to give the regime a certain legitimacy,” the Union said in a statement.

As for the Syrian Democratic Union - one of the most prominent political parties in the eastern Euphrates - it emphasized that the present time was not suitable for holding presidential elections.

“The conditions the country is going through are unfavorable, and these elections do not contribute to solving the Syrian crisis,” it said in a statement.



UN Rights Chief Arrives in Syria for First Ever Visit

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
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UN Rights Chief Arrives in Syria for First Ever Visit

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk arrived in Syria's capital, Damascus, on Tuesday for the first ever visit of the global body's rights chief to the country.

Turk, an Austrian lawyer, will visit Syria and Lebanon from Jan. 14-16 and meet with officials, civil society groups, diplomats and UN bodies, the UN statement said, without giving further details.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was driven from power by a lightening opposition offensive last month, ending 50 years of family rule and raising hopes for accountability for crimes committed during Syria's more than 13 year civil war.

According to Reuters, under Assad, many UN officials and rights groups were denied access to the country to investigate alleged violations.

A spokesperson for Turk's office did not immediately provide further details of how many times he or his predecessors had tried to gain access to the country. The role of High Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1993.