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Government of the masses
19-Mar-2008
The latest election for the Eighth Iranian Majlis (Parliament) took place on Friday, March 14, 2008, and according to Iran’s Interior Ministry, 65 percent of the nation’s 43 million eligible voters cast their ballots without the slightest disturbances or mishaps that are so common in many places during elections, not to mention the debacles in Florida’s 2000 and Ohio’s 2004 elections. Iran’s turnout was 14 percent higher than in the 2004 Parliamentary elections when 51 percent of the voters participated, said Hassan Khanlou, the chief of the ministry’s election committee.
Both President Ahmadinejad and Supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on the Iranian nation to take part in the election and by doing so show to the world and particularly the United States and its western allies that the nation is in support of Iran’s domestic and foreign policies, including in defense of the independence, sovereignty and development of nuclear energy for civilian purposes.
The massive turnout and energetic participation of overwhelmingly young people in this election shows that the new round of United Nations Security Council sanctions and massive U.S. anti-Iran propaganda beamed at the youth of Iran, especially the wealthy strata in northern Tehran and other metropolitan centers, did not affect the nation’s clarity of purpose. Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said on election day that “…the world had the opportunity to take note of the Iranians’ response to [the U.N.] resolution.”
According to IRNA (the Islamic Republic News Agency), the tens of millions of dollars spent by the U.S. on satellite TV and radio programs, such as Radio Farda, BBC, and Voice of America, to undermine the ruling faction of the Iranian government, headed by President Ahmadinejad, and at the same time, prop-up the so-called reformist faction, served in fact as a booster to the Iranian people’s sense of responsibility and patriotism. “Whenever the western powers increase their pressure on the Iranian nation and government, our people are more strongly motivated to show up at the polling station,” said Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, Iran’s Interior Minister.
Addressing a large number of ordinary people, not searched and hand-picked as in the case of President George W. Bush’s town meetings and supposed public addresses, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “By voting for the most efficient and devout candidates who believe in social justice, defend Iran’s national interests and have a clear stance against the enemies, the determined Iranian nation will elect a powerful Majlis, loyal to Islamic principles.”
Until recently, the imperialist countries, headed by the U.S., were hoping to be able to bolster the liberal bourgeois reformists against the radical faction in the government. But after the election, when it became clear that the reformists could not claim more than 40 out of the 290 seats in the Parliament, they have contented themselves with a new spin that President Ahmadinejad’s faction would be confronted with a newly-hatched and imaginary group called “moderate conservatives.”
The U.S. and its allies must be desperate to settle for a conservative group nick-named “moderate”. No wonder that in Afghanistan, the U.S. is trying to appease the “moderate Taliban” and in Iraq bribe the “moderate Baath Party” members. Apparently Bush, Cheney, and now McCain will go to bed with anyone in order to oppose the true Patriotic forces in any country in the world.
Returns from across the country show that the pro-Ahmadinejad radical faction, which is also supported by Ayatollah Khamenei, has won a clear-cut majority of the votes in both the cities and the countryside that are populated by the working class mass, i.e., the workers and peasants who could not even dream of living in the luxurious high rises of northern Tehran, where a few million wealthy families that aspire to imitate the fashion models in New York and Paris, and as a hobby chatter about human rights.
In Washington, the State Department’s mouthpiece Sean McCormack, dared to criticize the Iranian elections, spewing “in essence the results…are cooked. They are cooked in the sense that the Iranian people were not able to vote for a full range of people.” The facts show that Mr. McCormack is either ignorant of the facts that for 290 seats, the Iranian people had more than 4,500 candidates to choose from (that is over 16.2 candidates per seat), or intentionally misrepresents the reality.
On the basis of this ratio, there would have to be 1,620 candidates running for the seats in the U.S. Senate. Has the United States ever had numbers in that magnitude running for the seats in the U.S. Senate? Secondly, Mr. McCormack, who feels free to interfere in the domestic politics of Iran orders “Iranian leaders to end interference in future Iranian elections, including the 2009 presidential election.”
What a farce! A junior White House official like McCormack has the audacity to admonish Iranian leaders of a great country with a long history of civilization. One must ask who is really interfering in the domestic elections of other countries, President Ahmadinejad or President G.W. Bush?
One has only to look at the crimes that the United States has committed in the last seven years, in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon. The U.S. is famous for wanting to oversee other peoples’ elections all over the world, so that their elections would pass the “standards” reached in Florida in 2000, and in Ohio in 2004.
Now that the results of the Parliamentary elections have proven that the Iranian government has its deep roots in the entire population, and has the support of a great majority of the Iranian people, with regards to its domestic and foreign policy, particularly in the arena of the civilian nuclear industry and uranium enrichment, it sees no necessity to continue meeting with the members of the Security Council and Germany, which was an artificial construct by the U.S. to influence public opinion in Iran and around the world.
The 5+1 Group was designed to bring extraordinary pressure on Iran via Russia, China and the EU states. Iran has long stated that its nuclear issue has to be resolved within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency, its proper place, and not through the Security Council and imposition of punitive sanctions.
Visit American-Iranian Friendship Committe, AIFC.
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Not Really
by Rastgoo (not verified) on Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:35 PM PDTIRI once again has proven that voting in Iran is just a joke. No vote under the guns is ever fair.
Even with half of Iran having been born after the revolution and not knowing how true freedom feels, still, under a free and democratic elections 80% to 90% of Iranians want these idiot backward mollahs and their supporters out of the government.
ziba
by daneshjo (not verified) on Sat Mar 22, 2008 03:37 PM PDTMaghaleie kheili khobi bod
good work
About JJ and neutrality...
by K Nassery on Sat Mar 22, 2008 07:59 AM PDTOne commentor decided that JJ, the site creator, should remain neutral in his comments. Why? He has the First Amendment as evidence that he has the right to speak out. This is not the front page of a newspaper (like the great New York Times) which is by definition a source of news (like the great New York Times, cough, cough) which should have a separation between news/fact and an opinion/editorial page. This site is the opinion/editorial page. Even the news column on lower right of Iranian.com homepage has JJ's opinions in his personal headlines.
Now, tell the truth.... it' s your opinion that JJ must be neutral....come on...fess up.....There is now law that JJ has to be strickly neutral...
LOL...
Let's face it...even the greats...(like the New York Times) have gossip on the front page.... (ie McCain and his girl)
Baseejis' Devotion!
by G. Rahmanian (not verified) on Fri Mar 21, 2008 04:48 PM PDTMammad,
You say:
"My point was: That fraction of the population that supports the IRI is, (i) armed, and (ii) has no place to go."
Why should they leave Iran? They are Iranian and they will continue to serve their country in the same manner that the armed forces defended Iran against Iraqi forces. Members of the armed forces who left Iran after '79 did not trust the newly established regime and they were right to a great extent. Despite the amnesty extended to Shah's generals by Khomeini, quite a few of them were executed.
You say:
"The Shah's generals and supporters went into exile in Europe and the US. A Basiji cannot, a paasdaar cannot, simply because they cannot live in the West, due to their view of religion."
These views can alter when the need arises. A lot of the Baseejis and Pasdars have joined these organizations merely because of their financial needs and not their devotion to Islam or certain individuals. In most cases, they have a very shallow understanding of what religion is, anyway. They will absorb new cultures like all other immigrants before them.
You say:
"I do not know what you mean by "the decision was made." If you mean some outside power, I do not believe in such conspiracy theories."
That's exactly what I meant. I did not mention any conspiracy theories, but Huyser and Sulivan's role in paving the way for Islamists takeover cannot be denied.
How can the Islamic Republic claim any legitimacy?
by Lucifercus (not verified) on Fri Mar 21, 2008 08:11 AM PDTCounter Question:
Who can deny the Legitimacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran?
The only Possible Answer: The "IRANIAN"s
The fact of the matter is
by Iraniam (not verified) on Fri Mar 21, 2008 07:35 AM PDTThe fact of the matter is that people of Iran like the peacefull process of elections where they can participate in shaping their future. Slowly but surely people are getting used to this idea. I think pressure from west is a constructive force to keep the government system in Iran on it's toe prevent corruption. It actually helps it to weed out natural issues countries have after they go through massive change. Hopefully the pressure won't be too much to break down the system. FOr sure, I do not agree with radical changes, since people end up paying dearly for it.
Although there's lots of checks and balances to keep the unfit candidates out, but I think you can find moderates, Liberals and extremists in any type of belief system.
Hopefully the new majlis will be able to exploit the great momentum of economy and expand it in a faster rate in next 4 years.
Ayatollah Khamenei is smiling
by Anonymous347 (not verified) on Fri Mar 21, 2008 05:27 AM PDT"So while the winners of this parliamentary election are not entirely clear, there are obvious losers: those Iranians longing for greater democratic freedoms, many of whom have fallen into apathy as a result of the conservative stranglehold on politics and the onslaught on civil liberties and even the mildest dissent. Make no mistake: The pragmatic conservatives are not interested in women's rights or freedom of speech, and the reformists are too weak to affect these issues.
Somewhere, Ayatollah Khamenei is smiling. Fade to black."
//www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=af1c98b5...
Iran vs USA
by zigourat on Fri Mar 21, 2008 03:48 AM PDTIn Iran condidate must be approuved by "shoraye negahban" and in states candidates must have lots of money so be approuved by lobbies.
Parliamentary elections have proven the Iranian government's pop
by Lucifercus (not verified) on Fri Mar 21, 2008 03:03 AM PDTularity? Many many years the selfnamed Iranexperts waited, made themselves and other poeple hope and dreamed from Post Khomaini aera. then was the post khamenei aera on turn. then was the glorious idea of boycoting Parliaments`elections. I had to laugh laudly as i read the other day the message: Post Ahmadinejad aera is not far away! Just 2009. then is the Nightmare over. Then can uncle sam come back and take again away wehatever he will and the Iranians will be his slaves as in the years before 1978/79. so please be convinced who ever wants to.
Boycott wins, only Ramulans voted (to Alimostofi)
by Anonym7 (not verified) on Thu Mar 20, 2008 06:54 PM PDTmostofy says: "Take away the Basij and the government people you are left with no one."
Ali, and as an astrologer you know that those guys (Basij etc.) came from the Romulan Empire .... more about Ramulans: //memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Romulan_Star_Empir...
Re: Mehdi I said the
by Anonymousl (not verified) on Thu Mar 20, 2008 06:34 PM PDTRe: Mehdi
I said the *System* is a Closed one.
Definition of System:
A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole.
2. Given the track history and the reactionary nature of this entrenched system, any "improvements" (reform movement and Khatami come to mind) to the system will only serve to function as a release valve and then it will be rolled back and taken away as soon as those "improvements" are no longer serve their purpose. Any cursory look at the historical trends in this system will attest to the veracity of my assertions.
I also provided evidence why any "improvements" that threatnes their control of their base constituents will not be tolerated because it will render them and their "business" (Islam) irrelevant in the long run.
You have not provided an iota of evidence to tell me that given the nature of this system any "improvements" is possible and will not be easily taken away arbitrarily as soon as the system is threatned...
Mammad
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 20, 2008 06:06 PM PDTMammad, the Seyyeds and their poodles will go to southern Iraq.
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
G. Rahmanian
by Mammad (not verified) on Thu Mar 20, 2008 04:29 PM PDTMy point was: That fraction of the population that supports the IRI is, (i) armed, and (ii) has no place to go.
The Shah's generals and supporters went into exile in Europe and the US. A Basiji cannot, a paasdaar cannot, simply because they cannot live in the West, due to their view of religion.
I did not say that they would make a bloodbath. What I said was the change must come gradually and from within, and when even a Basiji recognizes that the system is no longer sustainable.
I do not know what you mean by "the decision was made." If you mean some outside power, I do not believe in such conspiracy theories.
Boycott wins
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 20, 2008 03:57 PM PDTThe official vote in Tehran was around 1.9 million, out of 10 million voters. Take away the Basij and the government people you are left with no one.
So the Iranian people's non violent boycott of the Seyyed selection process was a success.
Well done to all true Iranians.
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
Leave it to Hafez
by Fred on Thu Mar 20, 2008 03:54 PM PDTصالح و طالح متاع خویش نمودند
تا که قبول افتد و که در نظر آید
Anonymousl: The regime made it quite
by Mehdi on Thu Mar 20, 2008 03:53 PM PDTI think your views are very exagerated and unreal, and at the same time very over-simplified. You present the "regime" as some king of "entity." As if the regime is some kind of being. There is really no regime but individuals. And not all individuals, even within the top levels of that regime are the same or think exactly the same.
I think it is false that all mullahs are against freedom or improvements. I am not even how one could define mullah in that sense. Are you saying anybody who wears a turban is against freedom and improvement? I think that's too much! The fact is that Iran has improved within the past 29 years - maybe not much, and maybe not enough, but it has changed. And the numer of Iranians traveling back and forth to Iran from US or other countries with ease and without any real fear tells me that conditions have significantly improved.
The idea that "nothing can be done about it" is simply a pretext to justify violence (war). And frankly, I resent that.
Funny you brand me
by sadegh on Thu Mar 20, 2008 03:08 PM PDTFunny you brand me intolerant. You are the bigot and bully my friend. The thing that rubs you the wrong way is when others respond to your insults in a similar polemical tone. Sorry if I hurt your feelings joonam.
"left-leaning liberal" PhD candidate
by Fred on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:58 PM PDTOnly true dictatorial lefty Islamists who have the monopoly on the truth do not tolerate anyone challenging them and add to the brew a newly “liberal”, scratch that, a new “left-leaning liberal” tendencies. A word of advice from some one you have come to loath so much so that you can not contain yourself and in his refutation keep posting comment after comment. In your oral PhD when challenged don’t fly off the handle and use the kind of language that you use on me, have the courage of your conviction, gather your thoughts, be concise and stick with it, academicians dislike willy-nilly made up on the spot defense. Good luck.
The regime made it quite
by Anonymousl (not verified) on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:34 PM PDTThe regime made it quite clear that nothing of any importance is going to change. Two days after the election, another nine publications were shut down.
For those who can't accept the painful truth and are still in denial and think that they can change the Iron grip of power (political and economic), I recommend a dose of reality check. Outside intervention is highly unproductive as is unrealistic prescriptions.
If you don't even know your enemy, how can you defeat it?
The system is a closed system where no substantial or even minor "improvements" are possible. The elections are to fool the masses and the international community (e.g. EU) so they can go on trading with the Islamic Republic.
I'm sure the IRI has done a cost-benefit analysis of allowing more freedom and liberty, economic justice, and the answer have been what we saw: A resounding "NO"; hence, Appointing a populist demogauge like Ahamdinejad who is hell-bent to take away all the social freedoms afforded by Khatami's regime...Why did Khamnie decided to roll back the Islamic Republic to the first days of revolution??? For the same reason, Khomeini hated the Secular government of the Shah.
Democracy, freedom, social and economic security spell doom and irrelevancy for an antiquated system of beliefs. It is a direct assault on the future of Islamist Industrial complex, namely, Dynastic Clergies and Ayatollahs who have ruled Iranian national psyche for more than a thousands years; whether actually head of the government or not.
They are a deeply-rooted ruling class who will not give up power and status easily. The Shah tried to strip them out of power and look what happened to him....
//www.williambowles.info/guests/2005/iran_cla...
Khomeini's Grandchild!
by G. Rahmanian (not verified) on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:33 PM PDTMr. President,
Shame on you. Is she a Zionist, too?
//omidmemarian.blogspot.com/2008/03/politics-...
FYI
by sadegh on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:31 PM PDTI wrote my undergrad dissertation on Mossadegh and the CIA-MI6 coup and criticized the myopic failure of the Eisenhower administration in this regard well before everyone and his mother started jumping on the bandwagon. My PhD will be on the persecution of minorities by the Islamic Republic so please don't act like my being a liberal is some 'out of the blue' transformation. Do not try and pigeon hole me to accord with your own Procrustean and imperious attitude to the world.
What are your deeds
by sadegh on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:22 PM PDTWhat are your deeds friend??? What are you doing for our people? I at least use my full name and am openly criticizing the regime with my own voice and not hiding behind a giant 'F'. Stop your bullying and go back to your puppet masters!!!!
To be a left-leaning liberal
by sadegh on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:17 PM PDTTo be a left-leaning liberal makes me no less of a liberal. If anything you give off the terrible stink of the former Islamist turner ardent anti-Islamist. Maybe you are our very own Ayaan Hirsi Ali - with the total lack of integrity to match. At least I am clear about my views. I find it incredibly amusing that you show such indignation when all you ever do is slander, insult and bully without ever making a positive contribution to the discussion. I don't like bullies and simply have had enough of your libellous tripe. The fact that you label all of those with whom you disagree 'Islamists' and 'radical lefties' shows your true Manichean and fascistic colours. Funny how your own medicine doesn't go down so smoothly...
The Generals And The Baseejis!
by G. Rahmanian (not verified) on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:09 PM PDTMammad,
You surprise me!
Remember Shah's generals? They would have killed millions if they had to, but the decision was made for them to surrender. Do you really think the "15%" Iranians supporting the regime in Tehran are any different from Shah's generals?
Look at the past three decades and TRY to see the changes that have taken place and you'll know the answer!
As an intelligent person talking in absoute terms is unbecoming, to say the least.
The assembly of experts may
by sadegh on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:06 PM PDTThe assembly of experts may be elected but since you need to be a mojtahed and the list of candidates is vetted and decided in accordance with the criteria of ideological allegiance to the regime, the democratic process is deeply and profoundly distorted...You will not see Kadivar or Ayatollah Montazeri on the council any time soon. That is of course depending on whether we desire the 'Islamic' oversight of Iranian law in the first place. Many Iranians, I am sure you will not be surprised to hear do not. In fact, and I am sure you know all too well, Khamenei was promoted for entirely ideological ends and not out of anything approximating a democratic procedure.
And a newly minted "liberal" is born
by Fred on Thu Mar 20, 2008 02:04 PM PDTThank you for your colorful “liberal” language; it is so Islamist of you. As you might refresh your own memory as it seems you have a case of elective amnesia, you were proud of your “leftist traits” and now with the icon of Iranian nationalism as your new avatar you are a reincarnated liberal. Be that as it may, you might want to reevaluate and weed out your few writings on the net which scream of your bewildered leftist ego and no sign of the stuff you now attribute to yourself. As for the liberal Mossadegh and his anti-imperialism no questions about it but what that has got to do with you fellow opportunistic travelers? BTW whoever has sold you my dossier has taken you for a ride for every single assumption of yours is as true as your new found liberalism is .And lastly, never ever make the mistake of thinking that you have the authority to gauge anyone’s patriotism that quality is in deeds and not words.
The supreme leader is not
by sadegh on Thu Mar 20, 2008 01:51 PM PDTThe supreme leader is not elected, the US president is. One is representative democracy and one is theocracy.
Iranians are on their own
by Mehdi on Thu Mar 20, 2008 01:27 PM PDTPractically all so-called opposition outside Iran is ONLY interested in "regime change." They do not even fit that demand within the bigger picture of improvement of conditions in Iran. They generally don't even remember why they are trying to change the regime anymore. It is just an obsession now (look at MEK, for example). Iranians inside Iran probably have completely given up on any help coming from outside. The idea of regime change is so unreal, considering the fabric of Iran's population (look at this election, for example), that nobody takes it seriously. So all the calls for a regime change only helps strengthen IRI as it "prooves" that there are enemies out there that are after the "dear Islam." I think Iranians must start looking at the bigger picture and stop being obsessed about regime change. Let's look at how we can help improve conditions in Iran. Sanctions and threats are only good if one is willing to take the next step (war). And even then, it only leads to a complete unknown, if not a guaranteed disaster (as Iraq and Afghanistan have proved to us).
Punishment on a child is only effective while the child still cares about the parent's love and support. Once punishment becomes the only solution, the child gives up the parents and his game becomes how to get them. Punishment after that only worsens the child.
But there are those who are filled with hatred and obsession and there are those who have bought the propaganda spread by those who have other plans for Iran than improvement, and there is little hope that they will ever wake up and smell the coffee. For the rest of us, there is the job of becoming creative on how to push that society into a higher level of greatness.
The more Iran is walled from the rest of the world, the easier it is for oppressors to rule. More sanctions means less communication between Iran and the outside world. It only helps the oppressors. I don't think anybody has any doubt about it, really. Most people are totally unwilling to look at Cuba and admit that decades of sanction stopped any chance of democracy in Cuba. Cuba should be taken as a sign of shame for the US government, with all their might, unable to improve conditions there. Yet, they keep applyingthe same tactic. One wonders why.
Eskandar: the guardian council is also appointed
by Anonymous8 (not verified) on Thu Mar 20, 2008 01:17 PM PDTby Majlis and the Supreme leader.
Majlis is directly elected.
Supreme leader is chosen by the Assembly of experts every 8 years.
The assembly of expert members are elected by the people.
Sure it's not simple but it's still an indirect choice by the people by any definition. Just like the supreme court of the US.
Good point Setiz but ...
by yetanotherexmuslim on Thu Mar 20, 2008 01:07 PM PDTThere is stigma over the voting stamp in the Birth Certificate which scares people and for may aspects of the day to day life the Birth Certificate is checked.
There is no statistics but there are people who cast blank or invalid votes on purpose. The regime is interested in showing crowds to foreign journalists so those people are not doing any favours for themselves by turning up.
There are also people who have no means of income other than what aids they get from th regime, to many hungry people bread is more important than freedom.