Barsoum at PYD conference: Thanks to party’s ideological struggle, we have the DAA

RMELAN, Syria – Between 24-25 February, under the slogan “Through the Democratic Union we defeat the occupation, develop self-administration, and build a democratic Syria”, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) held it’s eight annual conference in the town of Rmelan in North and East Syria.

Alongside the 650 party members participating in the conference, there were a number of guests in attendance representing the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and Easy Syria (DAA), various political parties, and members from civil society of differing religious and ethnic backgrounds. Mr. Sanharib Barsoum, the Co-Chair of the Syriac Union Party (SUP) in Syria, also attended.

After a minute of silence to honor fallen martyrs, the conference was opened with speeches by the PYD’s Co-Chairs, Aisha Hissou and Shahuz Hassan. Congratulatory messages were read, followed by the reports of the Co-Chairs, the PYD General Council, and the PYD Women’s Council evaluating the events of the past year.

It was stressed by prominent members of the PYD that the party seeks to consolidate the democratic and ecological concepts that have been developed and will work to improve the DAA system, which is one of unity, not separation.

Securing and serving the rights of all the peoples of the region was also highlighted.

During the conference, Mr. Barsoum gave a speech in which he said, “The conference is a station for any party to review the past and develop plans for the future, and we wish this party to have continued success.”

“Everyone testifies to the achievements of this party,” continued Mr. Barsoum. “Thanks to the ideology adopted through its struggle and by the sacrifices which were made by the blood of martyrs, when we talk about the struggle and sacrifice, we find the establishment of the Autonomous Administration as the result.”

The conference ended with the re-election of Ms. Hissou and the election of Mr. Anwar Muslim as party co-chairs, and the election of the 90-member General Council and 7-member Disciplinary Committee.