Law Further Divides Syrian Kurdish Parties
KOBANE, Syria — Kurdish parties are criticizing a controversial new law in Syrian Kurdistan that forces them to recognize the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) authority in the region, claiming it will further divide rival factions here.
With some of its local allies, including Arabs and Christians, the PYD established three autonomous administrations or “cantons” — Cizire, Afrin and Kobani — last year in Kurdish-majority areas in northeastern Syria.
The administrations have security forces, courts and councils that run the region’s affairs but aren’t recognized by smaller Kurdish parties that do not support the dominance of the PYD, an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Syrian Kurdistan.
The cantons’ political parties law, which went into effect last week, is likely to further strain relations between Syria’s rival Kurdish factions. The law requires that political parties be licensed and officially recognize the PYD’s administration.
Parties that operate without a license face prosecution, fines and closure if they are not registered with the PYD administration.
The Kurdistan National Council (KNC), an umbrella group of 12 smaller parties, has refused to recognize the PYD’s rule and claims the PYD sidelines its rivals. In a report in June, Human Rights Watch detailed the arbitrary detentions of political rivals in PYD-controlled areas.
Critics claim the PYD approved the law without the approval of most Kurdish parties.
Musa Kono, a leader with the opposition Kurdistan Democratic Union Party of Syria, said, “The law to register political parties was issued unilaterally, and therefore has no legal basis. The law requires the approval of all political parties.”
He added, “Some of the laws that are issued by the cantons do not serve the Kurdish case and deepen disputes among political parties.”
Nihad Ahmed, co-president of Kubane’s administrative council, told Rudaw that 70 percent of Kurdistan National Council members approved the law “but now they’re not taking ownership of it.”
So far eight political parties have been licensed and are working in the local administrations. The parties in the KNC are not among them.
The KNC said it is skeptical of the law because the PYD tightly controls all political activities, gatherings, and protests in PYD-controlled areas.
Prior to the law, PYD security forces closed down most of the opposition Kurdistan Democratic Union Party of Syria’s offices in Syrian Kurdistan, also known by its Kurdish name, Rojava.
KNC leaders in the Kubane administration said the local PYD authorities have not notified them of the law.
The law also prevents Kurdish political parties from establishing armed forces. The PYD has three powerful armed units: PYD security, People’s Protection Units (YPG), and Women Protection Units (YPJ), which along with Iraqi Kurdish and US forces helped free Yezidi Kurds in Iraq who were being persecuted Islamic militants earlier this month.
Osman Muslim, head of the KNC in Kubane told Rudaw, “It’s true that PYD has the weapons and we respect that. But everything needs to be done through negotiations and mutual understanding, not by threats. There will be dire consequences if they want to impose themselves by force.”