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
TT

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.



Arab Parliament Condemns Israeli Security Minister's Storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque

This picture shows a view of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City on December 20, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
This picture shows a view of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City on December 20, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
TT

Arab Parliament Condemns Israeli Security Minister's Storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque

This picture shows a view of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City on December 20, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
This picture shows a view of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City on December 20, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

The Arab Parliament has condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, describing it as provocative towards the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world.
In a statement on Thursday, the Arab Parliament said that the Israeli minister's action represents yet another breach in the continuing series of violations committed by Israel against the Palestinian people and the Islamic and Christian holy sites in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
It rejected any attempts to undermine the historical and legal status of the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem as null and void, emphasizing that these attempts constitute a blatant violation of international law and pertinent UN resolutions, further exacerbating escalation, tension, and instability in the region.
The Arab Parliament urged the international community and the UN Security Council to put an end to the ongoing violations and attacks perpetrated by Israel against the sacred sites in Jerusalem.