NCRI Foreign Affairs Committee
Farid Mahoutchi:
Good morning everyone,
Today, I want to talk to you about the upcoming sham Presidential elections in Iran to be held on June 18. Is it an election by democratic standards or rather a selection? Let’s look at the facts:
Only men with religious credentials are accepted as candidates. Women are totally excluded.
Candidates must prove their heartfelt and practical allegiance to the Supreme Leader.
That is not all.
Every candidate is vetted by a Guardian Council, which is comprised of six clerics appointed by Khamenei, and six religious jurists nominated by the Judiciary Chief, who is himself appointed by Khamenei.
In short, elections in Iran are a travesty of the electoral process. The outcome is not decided by the ballot box but tends to reflect the internal balance of power within the regime. They are held to present a democratic façade to the world and in fear of an uprising against the entirety of the regime.
As such, the president has only a functionary role in implementing the Supreme leader’s policies.
Calls for boycotts are pervasive in all protests across Iran these days. The MEK network inside Iran has been leading a nationwide campaign to boycott the elections. Officials and state-controlled media have expressed deep concern over a massive boycott of the sham election.
In the face of uprisings and international isolation, Khamenei is increasingly weak and vulnerable. He has paved the way to select a loyal president. However, massive social disenchantment lurks in the background, and regardless of the outcome of these sham elections, the regime as a whole will inch closer to being overthrown by the people.
