2017 Rojava regional elections


The first Rojava regional elections were held on 1 December 2017. Local councils for the Jazira Region, Euphrates Region and Afrin Region were elected as well as for the subordinate cantons, areas and districts of the regions of Rojava. This followed the communal elections that were held on 22 September and will be followed by a federal parliamentary election of the Syrian Democratic Council, the region's highest governing body, initially scheduled for January 2018, but was later postponed.

Preparations

The election was chiefly organized by the High Electoral Commission of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.
Over 30 parties and entities with more than 5600 candidates competed for posts in the local councils of the three regions of the DFNS as well as for the region's subordinate cantons, areas and districts. There were 3048 candidates in the Jazira Region, 1170 candidates in the Euphrates Region and 1502 candidates in the Afrin Region. The Kurdish National Council boycotted the elections. DFNS co-president Hediya Yousef called the boycott "irresponsible".
The Kurdistan Regional Government sent 13 observers for the elections, among them Kurdistan Democratic Party politicians. This was seen by observers as an indication of an improvement of the previously poor relations between the DFNS and the KRG.

Parties and electoral lists

There were two main electoral lists competing in the election, the Democratic Nation List, which consists of 18 parties, and the Kurdish National Alliance in Syria, which consists of four. In addition to these two electoral alliances, the Syrian National Democratic Alliance also ran. There was also a separate list of independent candidates.
The Democratic Nation List includes the Democratic Union Party, Modernity and Democracy Party of Syria, Arab National Coalition, Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria, Green Party of Kurdistan, Liberal Union of Kurdistan, Syriac Union Party, Kurdish Left Party in Syria, Kurdistan Democratic Change Party, Kurdistan Renewal Movement, Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party, Democratic Peace Party of Kurdistan, Assyrian Democratic Party, National Rally of Kurdistan Party, Free Patriotic Union of Syria, Democratic Conservative Party, Sun Party of Kurdistan, and the Kurdish Brotherhood Party.
The Kurdish National Alliance in Syria includes the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria, Kurdish Democratic Left Party in Syria, Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria and the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Accord. The Syrian Reform Movement was originally a fifth member of the alliance that split from the Kurdish National Council party of the same name.

Results

The turnout was reported to be 69% of eligible voters.
Jazira Region
Euphrates Region
Afrin Region