Ahead of the Iranian regime’s sham presidential elections, state-run media admit that people will boycott this election. Iran’s state-run media also acknowledge that the regime’s presidential election is just a democratic façade for the ruling theocracy.
“Evidence shows that A cold atmosphere dominates the presidential election. It is safe to say that the same [nationwide boycott] of the eleventh parliamentary elections will repeat,” wrote the state-run Hamdeli daily on Wednesday.
Hamdeli admitted that one of the presidential elections’ aims is to legitimize the regime in the international community’s eyes, and low turnout will have devastating consequences for the regime.
“If we do not prepare the ground for people’s maximum turnout in the elections and have a low turnout, the detrimental effects of this illegitimacy will undoubtedly be shown in the forthcoming negotiations, both with the Western powers and with the Eastern powers, Hamdeli added.
In another article on Thursday, Hamdeli wrote: “Now all the intellectual and political authorities, activists and leaders from all groups and factions. They are still confused and undecided. They do not see in themselves the will to choose and be chosen.”
In an article on Wednesday, the state-run Mostaghel daily admitted that in Iran, under the mullahs’ regime, the so-called “elected” institutions have no power; Therefore, the elections serve as the regime’s “democratic” façade.
“The reality that is becoming more apparent today is that elected institutions do not have the slightest role in decision-making and formulating not only the strategies but also the political tactics of the entire system. As long as their decisions are in line with the [supreme leader], they have the power to act and expand. But when their opinions, whether in the government or town and village councils, contradict the views of the appointed institutions and the center of power, what is ultimately approved and implemented are the opinions and decisions of the appointed institutions,” Mostaghel wrote.
Background
The Iranian regime will hold its sham presidential elections on June 18. Following three major uprisings in Iran, with people demanding regime change, the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, intends to have a unipolar regime. Thus, he cannot accept the so-called “moderate” faction of the regime who have been active in human rights violations and the export of terrorism.
The reality is that the regime’s president’s sole role is to implement Khamenei’s orders.
Article 115 of the regime’s Constitution and Article 35 of the election law set the threshold for Presidential candidates to Muslim males, faithful to the “Islamic Republic,” and with practical belief and commitment to the principle of the velayat-e faqih (absolute clerical rule). The unelected and handpicked Guardian Council recently added further exclusions in a tactical adjustment to further disqualify and curtail potentially troublesome candidates from the self-proclaimed “Reformist” camp in the upcoming elections.
The Guardian Council has 12 members, six clerics, and six jurists. Khamenei appoints the six clerics, and the Judiciary Chief, whom Khamenei appoints, picks the six jurists. So, in effect, all Council members are chosen by Khamenei.
Who emerges from this presidential election will depends on the regime’s internal balance of power and whether Khamenei can withstand a brewing internal insurrection and international isolation. The regime is facing an impasse in the upcoming election. A wrong turn would lead to even more protests and uprisings more ferocious in scope and more widespread in scale than what has already been seen.
