The Syrian Democratic Council (MSD) announced that they would not participate in the Syrian presidential elections scheduled to be held on June 26.

The statement of the MSD is as follows:

“The Syrian Democratic Council has repeatedly announced that it is not concerned with any elections that do not achieve the goals of the Syrians in their lives, rights and political presence, and will not be a facilitator of any electoral procedure that violates the meaning of the UN Resolution 2254.

Although we sought to negotiate with the authorities in Damascus in order to achieve progress on which to build a political path, this has not been achieved. It was hindering consensus and obstructing the continuation of the meetings, and its aim was to impose its vision without regard for human rights, and according to this position, we considered that the extremists of the regime and the opposition are responsible for all crimes against the Syrian people and for obstructing negotiations for a negotiated political solution in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254, that is stipulated to form a transitional governing body, a safe environment, and a new constitution for the country on the basis of which elections are based on transparency and international supervision and guarantees of results achieved continued work to solve the hard crisis that everyone has suffered from.

We as members of the Syrian Democratic Council affirm that we will not be part of the presidential election process and we will not participate in it, and our position is constant that there will be no elections before the political solution in accordance with international decisions, the release of detainees, the return of the displaced, and setting up new foundations for a political path against the tyranny and the control of political forces gathered at one, and it should be in a pluralistic democratic atmosphere that recognizes the rights of the Syrian components equally, without discrimination or exclusion.”