In a move flouting two decades of tradition in Iran, the nation’s local elections last week allowed liberal dissidents on the ballot.
Elections were held Friday, with nearly 225,000 candidates competing for seats in city councils across Iran. In Tehran, the nation’s capital, 15 positions on the city council were sought by 1,351 candidates. For the first time in years, a contingent of liberal dissidents made up a fraction — however small — of these numbers.
The change can be attributed to the pro-reform administration of Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, who has allies on the parliamentary committee supervising local elections. In previous years, the committee had been controlled by hard-line Islamic members who barred the dissidents from putting their names on the ballot.
This move may have been the reason for the high voter turnout throughout Iran, whose Interior Ministry reported up to 95 percent of eligible voters cast votes in Friday’s election. The Associated Press quoted an Iranian woman as saying, “I had no intention to vote but cast my ballot after liberal dissidents were allowed to run.”
However, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the ultimate say in all governmental matters, has warned if any candidate is found to be in violation of election regulations, Khamenei will revoke his or her candidacy.
This statement bodes poorly for the future of free elections in Iran.
From the election results that have reached us thus far, Iranians seem to be passing over liberal candidates in favor of hard-liners; in Tehran, only one dissident was elected, and his position is as a “standby,” one who will become a council member only if one of the winners fails to claim his or her seat. But the voter turnout in Tehran was also ridiculously low, with only 10 percent of eligible voters participating. If more dissidents are elected in outlying towns and villages, will Khamenei suddenly discover a host of violations and declare the elections null and void?
If voters truly favor hard-liners over dissidents, then it is certainly not our place to oppose their decision. But if citizens are casting votes in response to governmental pressure, then the practice of elections becomes a mockery. Iranians who are frustrated with the lack of real reforms from their government deserve a choice rather than just a return to hard-line conservatism. We hope Khamenei will recognize the wishes of his people and honor them — even if they go against his beliefs.
