Type Unicameral | Seats 43 | |
 | ||
Co-Leader of the National Council Riad Darar, IndependentSince 25 February 2017 Co-Leader of the National Council Îlham Ehmed, TEV-DEMSince 12 December 2015 Political groups Government parties (25) TEV-DEM 8 TWDS 4 QMH 3 HRC 2 ENKS 2 Other 6Other parliamentary parties (18) HNKS 3 KDCK 2 SDS 1 SDMP 1 Other 11 Voting system Direct democracyHagenbach-Bischoff system | ||
The Syrian Democratic Council (مجلس سوريا الديمقراطية (Arabic), MSD) is the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Both umbrella-organisations have been created from the background and context of the de facto autonomous Federation of Northern Syria – Rojava. They are working towards the implementation of a secular, democratic and federalist system for all of Syria.
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Establishment and history
The Syrian Democratic Council was established on 10 December 2015 in Al-Malikiyah. Prominent human rights activist Haytham Manna was co-chairman at its founding.
The Assembly that established the Syrian Democratic Council was made up of 13 members from specific ethnic, economic and political backgrounds.
On 1 August 2016 the Syrian Democratic Council opened a public office in Hasakah.
On 11 September 2016 the Syria's Tomorrow Movement signed a cooperation agreement with the Syrian Democratic Council and the associated de facto autonomous administration of the Federation of Northern Syria - Rojava.
In late September and early October 2016 a forum for the Syrian Democratic Council was held in the town of Rmelan, in the northeastern Hasakah Governorate. Those that attended the conference included a representative from Jableh, in the western Latakia Governorate.
On 13 January 2017, a youth constituent assembly was established in Qamishli.
On 22 February 2017, during a meeting of the Manbij People’s Assembly, the 132 assembly members institutionalized the “Democratic Civilian Administration of Manbij and its Surroundings” self-administration.
On 25 February 2017, the Assyrian Democratic Party agreed to join the SDC, and the YPG agreed to hand over security in the Assyrian towns along the Khabur River to the Khabour Guards which joined the SDF. On the same day, the second conference of the SDC took place in al-Malikiyah and Riad Darar was elected as the co-president of the SDC, replacing Haytham Manna, alongside Îlham Ehmed, who was re-elected.
On 12 March 2017, the Legislative Assembly of Manbij approved the elected co-presidents who then took office. During the meeting the departments of the committee members, co-presidents and committees were determined after speeches and evaluations. 13 committees where determined. The 13 new committees include 71 Arabs, 43 Kurds, 10 Turkmen, 8 Circassians, and an Armenian and a Chechen.
On 2 April 2017, the Sahbaa council held a meeting with residents of Nayrabiyah village of the Al-Bab Subdistrict & announced the creation of Nayrabiyah council.
Involvement in negotiations on Syria
The Syrian Democratic Council was invited to participate in the international Geneva III peace talks on Syria in March 2016. However, it rejected the invitations because no representatives of the Movement for a Democratic Society, led by the Democratic Union Party, were invited.