Why the Syrian Kurds were excluded from the constitutional committee?
October 3, 2019, 9:03 am

Why the Syrian Kurds were excluded from the constitutional committee?

Zara Saleh

UN General Secretary- Antonio Guterres- declared, on Monday 23rd of September, that the agreement finally has been reached between the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition about the formation a “ Constitutional Committee”, which will take responsibility of drafting a new Syrian constitution.

Meanwhile, the French president Macron ,during the “ Small Group” meeting, was suggesting to discuss the important of general election in Syria, following the UN's decision 2254. Which will be the next direction step of finding a political solution.

The United Nations special envoy of Syria, Geir Pedersen, announced that the Constitutional Committee, scheduled the first committee’s meeting in October 30 in Geneva. But, if we look deeply to this deal, we can understand the role of the main real players who were behind assigning the constitutional committee members. Relating to that, in a joint press conference between presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey, they declared that an agreement has been reached to form the Syrian Constitutional Committee . Which will serve their political agendas first.

The agreement supposed to be comprehensive and guarantee the participation of all Syrian components and to be in compliance of the UN resolution 2254. Which clearly indicates that none of the Syrian components will be excepted or excluded from the Constitutional Committee.

However, this constitutional committee can't represent all Syrian people for several reasons. First of all, it is in fact an agreement between Putin, Rouhani and Erdogan who represent the three occupied countries of Syrian territories. Secondly, the Kurds and other cultural and religious groups has been excluded by Iran and Turkey. Both regimes are against any kurdish presence in the new Syrian constitution. Which is a Russian favour too. Russia considers as the spokesman of the Assad's regime.

In the last meeting of the Security Council, the special envoy for Syria G. Pedersen again confirms that the all Syrian components are represented in the constitutional committee including the Kurds. In fact, this speech doesn't reflect the reality of the matter.

Despite there is a few kurdish names among the constitutional committee, but they are not represent the Syrian Kurds as a nation nor the Kurds independent and real presence in the Constitutional Committee . Those kurds are part of the Syrian Coalition backed by Turkey such as Kurdish National Council and other two members who are baked the Syrian government.

In addition, the twelve principles of Geneva’s deal about the future of Syria, which might be the basis of the next new Syrian constitution, doesn't mention anything regarding to the kurdish issue in Syria.

Therefore, there's no doubt that this constitutional committee doesn't reflect the real representation of the Syrians people.

Many Syrian are not satisfied with the represented constitutional committee members, because they present the interests of Turkey, Iran and Russia but not the Syrian. Thus, for most of the Syrian people this committee is nothing related to them.

Furthermore, this step of formation of the constitutional committee, will be new an attempt, under the UN’s umbrella, for rehabilitation of the Assad's regime and its previous 2012 constitution.

In comparing with the regional countries such as Turkey and Iran, consequently, the role of the international community regarding the Syrian constitutional issue has been declined. The regional countries are against the kurdish rights in Syria, and also the Syrian opposition and regime’s agreement to oppose the kurdish demands for federal state means that the future of Syria is going towards central dictatorship state again.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.