ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) strongly rejected the new interim constitution signed by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday, as perpetuating policies of ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“The [constitutional] declaration includes provisions and a traditional [legal] framework that closely resemble the measures previously imposed by [Assad’s] Ba'ath government,” read a statement by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).
The statement censured the interim constitution for disregarding Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious communities, including the Kurds and the Christians.
The 53-article interim constitution, which centers on Islamic jurisprudence, stipulates that Syria’s president must be a Muslim and sets a five-year transitional period. It also retains the country's official name as the Syrian “Arab” Republic.
During the signing ceremony, Sharaa expressed hope that the declaration would mark “a new chapter in Syria’s history, one where ignorance is replaced with knowledge and oppression with justice.”
The interim constitution grants Sharaa exclusive executive power, the authority to appoint one-third of the legislature, and the ability to appoint judges to the constitutional court, which is the body that can hold him accountable.
The Rojava authorities on Thursday condemned the constitutional declaration for reinforcing a “centralized mindset” rather than advancing a democratic transition. They emphasized that the constitution “does not represent the aspirations of our people, nor does it acknowledge their true identity in Syria.” Rojava authorities warned that such “narrow-minded practices and outdated political ideas” could set Syria back and deepen the country's wounds.
Following a swift offensive, a coalition of rebel groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - headed by Sharaa - on December 8 toppled Assad’s regime.
Sharaa was appointed as Syria’s interim President in late January. Around that same period, the country’s constitution was annulled, its parliament was dissolved and its army disbanded. Sharaa then vowed to form an “inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity, hold "free and fair elections," and preserve "civil peace" and Syria’s territorial unity.
The constitutional declaration follows a decree issued by Sharaa in late February establishing a seven-member committee of “experts” tasked with drafting the declaration to “regulate the transitional phase” in Syria. The committee was also criticized for its exclusion of ethnic and religious communities in Syria.
Notably, members of Syria’s Christian and Druze communities have also voiced their discontent with the interim constitution, highlighting their exclusion from the committee tasked with its creation.
