The Limbo of Elections and Reformists’ Indecision
Reformists make no secret of the fact that there is no motivation in society for participation in elections, and they themselves have not yet made a definitive decision about what kind of presence they will have in the parliamentary elections. Khatami has called the boycott of elections “the dissolution of the people.”
«The people’s situation is far worse than December 2017, people say we should wait and see what happens, this waiting is the most helpless statement being formed at the societal level, meaning people are waiting to see what foreign forces will do and what internal saboteurs will do or what the conflict between hidden and open government will become. No party asks people what do you want to do. It means people have come to believe that there is no other agency among the people.»
This is part of the remarks of Ali Shekori Rad, secretary-general of the “Union of Nation” party and former parliamentary representative, in a detailed interview with “Hamshahri” newspaper. He says that if people are not in the streets now, it is because economic pressures prevent them from protesting.
This reform-oriented political activist has emphasized that people have not seen the fruits of their participation in the last three elections and see no reason to participate in elections that offer no benefit to them: “We also tell the government the same argument you present to your Western and American negotiating counterpart—that if you haven’t gained the fruits of the JCPOA, why should you remain in it—people also say that since they have not seen the fruits of their votes, why should they participate in elections? We pay attention to this people’s statement, which is why we cannot currently say we have reached a definitive decision on participation or non-participation in elections.»
Shekori Rad has made the definitive decision conditional on creating conditions where people can feel the difference.
The Electoral System’s Responsibility
Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of the “Hope” faction in parliament, also pointed to public despair with parliament in an interview with “Etemad Online” and called the electoral system responsible for such a situation. He says people should feel that their preferred options exist among the candidates: “The Guardian Council should not eliminate first-tier figures of one faction, forcing that faction to come to the arena with lower-tier figures, and consequently, candidates cannot adequately respond to people’s demands. This is the most important factor for widespread public participation in the eleventh parliament elections. If the Guardian Council approves the credentials of first-tier reformist figures, the elections will become competitive and we will witness enthusiastic and emotional public participation.»
Azar Mansouri, a member of the “Supreme Policy-Making Council of Reformists,” has announced that no specific conclusion has yet been drawn about the type of reformist participation in the upcoming elections, and a common strategy will be presented after diagnosing the damages of this council’s previous actions and reviewing the performance of the “Hope” list in the tenth parliament.
Ms. Mansouri, who is the deputy head of the “Union of Nation” party, has acknowledged that the connection between people and the ballot box has been lost. “Etemad Online” reports from Azar Mansouri: “People see that the situation of the judiciary has not changed. In foreign policy and the economy, we still have problems, we still face certain restrictions. We still face problems regarding people’s lifestyle issues and their right to choose their lifestyle. One day women’s entry into stadiums becomes the main issue of the country, the next day Adel Ferdowsipour becomes the main issue, the day after women’s cycling, etc.»
Khatami: Reformists Should Make Sacrifices
Three reform-oriented figures spoke of indecision about the type of participation in the next elections while Iran’s former president asked this political movement and dissatisfied people to show self-sacrifice and come to the ballot boxes for the sake of Iran.
Mohammad Khatami also said that reformists cannot enter elections at any cost but that an open atmosphere is also necessary. He, who played a prominent role in Hassan Rouhani’s victory in the 2013 and 2016 elections and the entry of the “Hope” list into the tenth parliament, acknowledged in March 2019 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 recommendation. Ali Shekori Rad told “Hamshahri” that Khatami’s remarks were directed at the government, meaning what have you done to the people’s choice that they are no longer willing to participate.
The eleventh parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held on February 21, 2020, and candidate registration will begin on November 21, 2019.
Sadegh Zibakalam, a political analyst, also believes that participation in the next elections will be very low and the social base of the reformists will not participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections. In his view, a significant portion of those who will go to the polls will be the 16 million who voted for Ebrahim Raisi in the 2016 presidential election.
The spokesman for the Guardian Council has denied the discussion of low participation or election boycott as ridiculous, saying that in all elections of the Islamic Republic, the participation rate has been above 50 percent.
Source: DW
