ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan — The democratic self-rule administration in northeast Syria implemented a decision on March 14-15 requiring all unlicensed political parties, groups and civil society organizations not under the umbrella of the administration to obtain licenses within 24 hours. Otherwise, their offices would be closed and their activities halted. The administration, which governs areas in northeast Syria and the Kurdish areas in Afrin, Kobani and Jazeera, issued the decision on March 13. 

The decision affected dozens of offices. It complies with the provisions of the party law issued by Jazeera's legislative council, as per Decree No. 7, on April 15, 2014. The joint authority of Jazeera approved of the law, according to Chairman of the Jazeera executive council Abdul Karim Sarokhan. He told Al-Monitor, “The decision aims at organizing social and political life, and it ingrains the legitimacy of the legislative council that is formed of social components: the Kurds, Arabs and Syriacs.”

He said, “The laws of the legislative council apply to everyone, and the council is the product of the revolution of July 19, 2012, which is an extension of the Syrian revolution that represents — along with the military force — the people.”

The main parties affected by the decision to shut down unlicensed groups include the Kurdish National Council (Kurdish acronym is ENKS), a coalition led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDK-S). The Democratic Union Party (PYD) spearheads the democratic self-rule administration, and Sarokhan claims that the PYD has a license granted by the self-rule government.