The Election Purgatory and the Reformists' Indecision

The reformists do not hide that there is no motivation in society to participate in the elections, and they themselves have not yet made a definitive decision on what kind of presence they will have in the parliamentary elections. Khatami has called the boycott of the elections “the dissolution of the people.”

"The situation of the people is much worse than in January 2017. People say we should wait and see what happens. This waiting is the most helpless thing that is being said at the level of society. That is, people are waiting to see what foreign forces do, what the subversives do inside, or what the hidden and open conflict between the government will be. No one asks the parties what they want to do. That is, people have come to believe that there is no longer any agency in the people's sector."

This is part of the speech of Ali Shakourirad, Secretary General of the "Etihad Mellat" party and former MP, in a detailed interview with the "Hamshahri" newspaper. He says that if people are not in the streets now, it is because they are unable to protest due to economic pressures.

This reformist political activist has clarified that the people have not seen the fruits of their participation in the last three elections and see no reason to participate in an election that does not benefit them: "We also say to the government the same argument that you are making with the Western and American negotiating parties that if you have not reaped the benefits of the JCPOA, why should you remain in it? The people also say that when they have not seen the benefits of their votes, why should they participate in the elections? We are paying attention to what the people say, which is why we cannot say that we have reached a definitive decision about whether or not to participate in the elections at this time."

Shakurirad has made the final decision conditional on creating conditions where people can feel the difference.

Responsibility of the electoral system

Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of the Omid faction of the parliament, also pointed out in an interview with “Etemad Online” the people’s disappointment in the parliament and blamed the electoral system for such a situation. He said that people should feel that their preferred options exist among the candidates: “The Guardian Council should not eliminate the top-tier forces of a faction, forcing that faction to come to the stage with lower-tier forces, and as a result, the candidates will not be able to adequately respond to the people’s demands. This is the most important factor in the widespread participation of the people in the 11th parliament elections. If the qualifications of the top-tier forces of the reformist faction are confirmed, the elections will be competitive and we will witness a passionate and excited participation of the people.”

Azar Mansouri, a member of the "Reformists' Supreme Policy-Making Council", also announced that no specific conclusion has yet been made about the type of reformists' participation in the upcoming elections, and a joint strategy will be presented after analyzing the council's previous actions and reviewing the performance of the Hope List in the 10th Parliament.

Ms. Mansouri, who is the deputy chairwoman of the “Etat-i-Mellat” party, has acknowledged that the people’s connection to the ballot box has been lost. “Etemad Online” quotes Azar Mansouri as saying: “People see that the situation of the judiciary has not changed. We still have problems in foreign policy and the economy, we still face a series of challenges. We still face problems related to people’s lifestyles and their right to choose their lifestyles. One day women going to the stadium becomes the main issue of the country, the next day Adel Ferdowsipour becomes the main issue, the next day women’s cycling, and…”

Khatami: Reformists should make sacrifices

Three reformist figures have spoken of their indecision about how to participate in the next elections, while the former president of Iran has called on this political movement, as well as the disaffected people, to show selflessness and come to the polls for the sake of Iran.

Mohammad Khatami, at the same time, said that reformists cannot enter the elections at any cost, but that an open space is also necessary. He, who played a prominent role in Hassan Rouhani's victory in the 2013 and 2017 elections and the entry of the Hope list into the 10th parliament, admitted in March 2018 that these victories did not lead to "real reforms."

Khatami had previously emphasized that in the next round of elections, people would not go to the polls, even with his request and advice. Ali Shakourirad told Hamshahri that Khatami's address was to the government and that what has happened to the people's choice is that they are no longer willing to participate.

The elections for the 11th term of the Majlis are scheduled to be held on March 2, 2019, and registration of candidates will begin on December 10.

Political analyst Sadeq Zibakalam also believes that turnout in the next election will be very low and that the social body of reformists will not participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections. In his opinion, a significant fraction of those who will go to the polls will be the same 16 million who voted for Ebrahim Raisi in the 2017 presidential election.

The Guardian Council spokesman dismissed the discussion of low turnout or boycotting the elections as absurd and said that in all elections in the Islamic Republic, the turnout rate has been above 50 percent.

Source: DW