Iranians in one voice say: “My vote regime change”

The coming parliamentary elections in Iran can only be described as a shambles. The elections are far removed from any true version of democracy and they are a way for the Supreme Leader of Iran to eliminate his opposition.

Firstly, it must be pointed out that the Iranian Constitution allows for the Guardian Council to screen and eliminate candidates. The Guardian Council comprises 12 members. Half of them were appointed by the Supreme Leader himself and the other half were appointed by the head of the country’s judiciary (who was also hand-picked by the Supreme Leader).

So the whole electoral process is controlled by the Supreme Leader. The candidates have to show that they are fully committed to the velayat-e faqih principle, in other words, they need to show no opposition to absolute clerical rule. If there is any doubt about this, the Guardian Council is free to eliminate the candidate.

This so-called “election process” allows the regime to pretend to be democratic. This works in its favor with the international community because outrightly denying democracy would be a hindrance with regards to trade and economic ties. To not hold elections at all would look unsavory and immoral.

With regard to the current parliamentary elections, most of the candidates described as “reformists” have been eliminated from the process. This is quite simply because they oppose Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The regime has been under immense pressure because of international and domestic crises over the past few years, and the regime that once seemed to be on the same page has been unable to hide the infighting and disputing between the factions.

Because of this tremendous amount of pressure that it has been facing, the current elections are of utmost importance for the regime. The discord at the highest levels of leadership in Iran has opened the gate for massive anti-government demonstrations and protests. The Supreme Leader knows that public discontent is going to remain for as long as the leadership crisis continues and he is eager to lead without opposition and friction.

The people know that the elections are not democratic and they have been taking to the streets to make sure that their anger is known. Protesters have been heard chanting that their vote goes to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the main opposition to the Iranian regime, that has been campaigning for freedom, human rights and a democratic vote for all people in Iran.

The NCRI is the biggest threat to the regime’s survival and its President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi has called on the people of Iran to boycott the parliamentary elections. The people are more than happy to boycott these elections because they are aware that no matter what the outcome is, they will continue to suffer under the cruel and brutal rule of the mullahs.

The continued protests and anti-government demonstrations organized by the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK Iran) across Iran show that the people are not going to relent until they finally have democracy. And they deserve the support of the international community in this quest.