beirut kurdish-led regions northern syria hold elections friday historic expression free message president bashar al-assad seek reassert control whole country senior syrian kurdish politician say kurds neighbor iraq prepare vote secession baghdad hadiya yousef tell reuters assad aim take back syria could lead partition though syria kurds insist independence aim three-phase vote set begin friday part plan map syrian kurdish group ally set federal system government shore autonomy enjoy north since 2011 syria civil war break political structure expect emerge process inspire ideas abdullah ocalan head kurdistan workers party pkk jail turkey lead three-decade insurgency turkey view kurdish autonomy northern syria threat national security friday election voters pick leaders 3,700 communities commune spread across three regions north process follow november elections local councils culminate january election assembly act parliament syrian government regain swathe territory russian iranian support oppose plan repeatedly insist recover territory slip grip six years war regime insistence renew authoritarian centralize regime lead deepen syrian crisis say yousef co-chairs constituent assembly heart plan new system government government insist position regime steer syria toward partition say phone people northern syria mean defend note urge damascus accept dialogue main syrian kurdish group militia ypg emerge major force syria since onset war control approximately quarter country damascus ally one hand ypg ally mostly stay way war tensions surface side race grab territory islamic state deir al-zor eastern syria ypg main component u.s.-backed syrian democratic force area recapture islamic state though back ypg unite state last year declare opposition creation autonomous zone syria also come iraqi kurdish independence vote set monday yousef say decision hold elections people northern syria simultaneously fight islamic state reflect determination press ahead time message syrian regime syrian people want represent election administration run regions societies say elections take place areas control sdf vote city manbij capture islamic state last year example recently capture areas near city raqqa say critics say govern structure set far northern syria less democratic claim dominate officials commit pkk senior kurdish politician al-dar khalil say culture democracy advance region years oppressive baath party rule syria 63 ... live shadow baath party one party control institutions aspects life tell reuters want change mindset syria 's kurds hold historic vote 'message assad