Eight candidates, 10 choices
In 1979, 98 percent voted yes to the IRI. What about 2005?

David Etebari
June 17, 2005
iranian.com

Post revolution Iranian referendum of 1979 resulted in a 98% popular vote for creation of an Islamic Republic, empowered by a constitution that gave the ultimate power to a non-elected Ayatollah as the supreme leader. Today one more time Iranians were supposed to show up at the voting poles, this time to select their new president. A post that historically has been more of a ceremonial position in comparison to the ultimate decision power of the supreme leader.

The unanimous vote for the Islamic republic and unfulfilled promises of the religious and government officials in Iran resulted in 26 years of isolation, inflation, prostitution, addictions, assassinations, unemployment, war, imprisonment, torture and exodus as well as the decay of the same religious beliefs that resulted in creation of a failed theocratic system.

For the past few years the Iranian oppositions have been calling for a new referendum to decide, one more time, the future form of the government in Iran. A wish that would not be easily granted to Iranians by those already in power. Therefore the opposition groups invited all Iranians to turn this presidential election to another referendum, this time against the Islamic Republic by refusing to vote for anther powerless president.

Selected members of the guardian council have approved 8 presidential candidates, but Iranians are also aware of their 9th choice, a boycott that translates to a no vote for the Islamic republic. On the other hand the Iranian regime, to maintain their internal and external legitimacy, has been doing all it can to encourage voting.

Iranians in their own way have converted this election to a national referendum for another yes or no vote to the Islamic Republic. Today nearly 47 million Iranians, many of them under the age 30 are eligible to vote. (To increase the number of votes, the voting age in Iran has been reduced to 15 years old). If more than 50% of the voters do not place their ballots in the boxes, it would be a clear indication that Iranians have changed their position on the Islamic Republic system after their painful 26-year-old lesson.

However if the results are opposite and majority of the eligible voters attend the presidential election, it is obvious that although the Islamic Republic no longer has 98% approval rating but it still has enough support among majority of Iranians. Therefore those who oppose the theocratic regime have no peaceful options but to wait for more Iranians to learn from their lessons in their gradual path to a secular democracy.

Many Iranians are anxiously waiting to see the result of this election, not necessarily to find out who the next president is, but to see if the Islamic Republic receives enough votes of confidence. Of course the Islamic Republic if needed has the 10th option and that is to take matters in to its own hands and find more votes in the ballot boxes than were actually cast! Time will tell...