The High Electoral Commission announced in Raqqa today that the municipal elections scheduled for 11 June by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Region (DAANES) have been postponed to 8 August.

The decision was based on a request from the political parties and alliances taking part in the elections. The reason for the postponement is the tight schedule for the election campaign and the need to have enough time to communicate with international organisations to observe the elections.

On 21 May, the Commission invited international organisations to observe the elections in order to ensure the success, integrity, transparency and independence of the municipal voting.

On 30 May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the elections in north-east Syria threatened Turkey's ‘national security’. ‘Turkey will never allow the separatist organisation beyond our southern borders in northern Syria and Iraq to establish a terrorist state,’ he said.

The municipal election is intended to decentralise self-government and strengthen it at local level. Based on the new version of the social contract adopted by the DAANES in December 2023, a law has been issued. The elections were initially planned for the end of May, but had to be postponed due to a delay caused by a change in local and administrative law.