Syrian Kurds Reject Legitimacy of New Government

Kurdish groups in northeastern Syria have rejected the announcement of a new constitution and transitional government led by Ahmad al-Shara, calling it a "reproduction of authoritarianism." The Kurdish autonomous government in northeastern Syria stated on Sunday, Farvardin 10, that it does not recognize the legitimacy of the new national government formed by the coalition that overthrew Bashar al-Assad's long-standing regime in December. The Syrian Democratic Council, the political branch of the Syrian Democratic Forces, announced that the new Syrian charter, which concentrates executive power, limits political activities, and excludes ethnic groups and women, repeats the path of past dictatorship. On Saturday, Ahmad al-Shara, the interim president of Syria, announced the formation of a transitional government to replace the temporary structures following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The new government consists of 23 members, only one of whom is Kurdish, and that individual is not from the areas controlled by the Kurdish autonomous government. The Kurds have deemed the new cabinet composition as lacking genuine representation of Syria's diversity and emphasized that they do not feel obligated to implement the decisions of this government. This comes despite a recent agreement between al-Shara and the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces to integrate Kurdish forces into government institutions. In a statement released one day after the announcement of this government by the Kurds, it was stated: "Any government that does not reflect the diversity and plurality existing in the country cannot provide proper governance for Syria." Last month, the Kurdish autonomous government signed an agreement for integration into government institutions, part of new leadership efforts to unify the country after over 13 years of civil war. A coalition led by the group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, of which al-Shara is also a member, seized power in Syria on December 8 through a lightning attack, ending over five decades of Assad family rule. Al-Shara was appointed as interim president in January.