Thread Upsum on view from #Damascus of #Syria MP Elections:
- 'North Korea option' seems a lot more likely.
- Under new and emerging external pressures, any internal dissent will be quelled, starting by parliament.
-A prelude to the '99.99% 2021 Presidential Elections'

A Damascus source commented on the recent elections result saying that @Charles_Lister analysis that Syria was going towards the 'North Korea option' is partially correct for the foreseeable future. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/11/assad-syria-collapse-313276

He said that in previous elections under Bashar al-Assad, the people were free to select independents because they had already been security vetted. Independent MPs in parliament also had a margin of freedom to operate under.

In the past 4 years, some MPs became 'troublesome', calling for better living conditions, better salaries, exposing corruption. 'It was all ok then, but under the new circumstances we are living under, the leadership decided to quell any voice of dissent, whatever marginal'

And hence, the parliament, it was decided, had to become 'domesticated' once more. Therefore, many 'troublesome' MPs had to go. Over the past week, the source said, they had 'friendly' visits asking them to pull out of the elections or face certain defeat.

For example, listing the most prominent among many who had those visits. Jeancette Kazan, the Qunaytra MP had been vocal about the rights of the #SAA war injured and the families left behind them. Her electorate dubbed her 'Mama Jeancette'. She had to go.

Omar Awssi, the only Kurdish MP in Syria’s 250-member parliament. He was vocal about the government’s poor performance and even a more vocal defender of the Kurdish cultural rights in #Syria and #Damascus’s careful rapprochement with SDF political arm. He had to go.

Qutaybah Badr, a Baath Party loyalist, who was forced onto the parliament in 2018 to replace a departed MP without any by-elections. He didn’t live up to the expectations and was a vocal critic of the government’s performance. He had to go.

Nabil Saleh, perhaps the most 'troublesome' of all MPs, and the one who spoke most loudly about corruption, warlords, war profiteers and the telecommunication sector. He had to go.

Even Fares Al-Shahabi, the most loyalist of all independent MPs, . His FB posts and TV appearances targeting mainly the Qaterjis and Abu Ali Khodrs of Syria, allies of the 4th Division and IRGC, were not acceptable anymore. He had to go. https://twitter.com/Dalatrm/status/1167144800631623681?s=20

But Shahabi didn’t listen. He decided to plough his way through to the parliament despite the warning. In fact, his archnemesis Hussam Qaterji had been given his seat. And so, he went on to expose the “visits” he’d had before the elections.

“The message was clear: Blind allegiance to the growing corruption complex, elimination, or punishment… I regret not bowing out following the ‘comrade’ instructional visit just before the elections, but perhaps it’s because I’m a natural-born fighter.”

With the elimination of 'static and background' noise coming from the parliament, the Damascus contact said that the political leadership will be able to focus more on present and coming challenges without worrying about MPs creating 'public opinion' fusses.

He concluded that the parliament-elect is a prelude to the 2021 presidential elections. “I expect that, unlike in previous elex, President Assad will stand unopposed. We’re back to the 99.99% era and that is, in essence, the message behind all this. A big FU to the Americans'

For a play-by-play analysis on Elex winners and how that fits the larger puzzle, highly recommend this thread https://twitter.com/AymanDas1/status/1285518837421674497?s=20