Syrian Democratic Council strongly criticizes composition of new Syrian government, says it lacks on all sides

RAQQA, North & East Syria – The position of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria on the Transitional Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, announced yesterday, is very clear. In its statement today, the SDC expresses great disappointment with President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s new cabinet: after many years of dictatorship and oppression, it is lacking on all sides. The SDC states that many expected the new government to be a step towards broad participation with representatives from all of Syrian society, that it would be an indication towards a comprehensive political solution, and a sign for a new phase of national consensus. 

However, the Syrian Democratic Council’s statement says:

On the inclusion of all components: “We had hoped that this government would be truly representative, expressing the diversity of Syria with all its political and social components, but what was announced fell short of even our basic national aspirations. It is dominated by only one flavor, despite the inclusion of some technocrats.” 

On the inclusion of women: “This government did not consider the true representation of women, who constitute the largest social segment and who have suffered the most in the past years… A broad representation of women would have been an expression of a mindset that is open to participation and non-discrimination. It would have expressed a readiness to see men and women as equals, with the same rights.” 

The SDC therefore roundly condemns the composition of the new government as a step away from a broad and nationally supported political solution, because it “demonstrates the dominance of a single party with an ideological character that cannot be sugar-coated with nice words or superficial slogans…” Rather, it is a reproduction of an approach that has not yielded any benefits for Syria or its many components in the past.

The SDC calls on Syria’s new leaders to move quickly and form a genuine government based on true national partnership, “not excluding any Syrian party, but absorbing all active forces on the ground and reflecting the aspirations of all Syrians, regardless of their political, national, religious or gender affiliations.”