Ali Khamenei failed to force people casting vote for his regime’s survival

Friday’s Majlis (parliamentary) elections in Iran featured deserted polling stations and last-minute pleas from regime officials for Iranian citizens to vote as people across the country made good on their promises to boycott the sham elections.

The boycott dealt another crushing defeat to the Iranian regime, which badly needed strong voter participation in the elections to bolster its claims of legitimacy. The vacant polls also demonstrated support for the MEK Iran and the NCRI, which led the call for the election boycott.

Participating Cities

Reports from the MEK network indicate that polling stations were completely vacant in the following cities: Tehran, Karaj, Shahriar, Robat Karim, Islamshahr, Qods, Isfahan, Baharestan, Najafabad, Golpayegan, Zarinshahr, Yazdanshahr, Lamerd, Dasht-e Arjan, Firouzabad, Zahedan, Sonqor, Neyshabur, Mashhad, Shahr-e Kord, Kazeroun, Dalahou, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Qazvin, Alvand, Na’ein, Yazd, Yassouj, Malayer, Rasht, Sari, Nowshahr, Babol, Babolsar, Tabriz, Miyaneh, Daylaman, Dehdasht, Shush, Behbahan, Bukan, Azadshahr, Khorramabad, Koohdasht, Semnan, Qeshm Island, and Bandar Kangan. Partial boycotts were seen in many other cities.

Majlis candidate Majid Ansari expressed concern on Friday morning that polling stations were empty, adding, “God willing participation would be better in the coming hours.”

NCRI Statement

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) declared the boycott a success in a statement released on Friday. The statement read:

“Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), congratulated the Iranian people for the nationwide boycott of the sham election by the ruling religious fascism. Mrs. Rajavi added that the failure of the regime to intimidate people to go to the polls reflects the Iranian people’s homage to the 1,500 martyrs of the November 2019 uprising and portends of subsequent uprisings. This unprecedented boycott was a resounding “no” to Khamenei, Rouhani and the entirety of the clerical regime and showed the public’s enthusiasm for Resistance units’ slogan of ‘my vote is overthrow.’

“The nationwide boycott of the election farce will aggravate the regime’s internal feuding and deadly impasse and expedite its overthrow by the Iranian people and Resistance. Shaking the bloody hands of this illegitimate regime must stop at the international level. The world community must recognize the right of the Iranian people and Resistance to change the clerical regime and establish democracy and people’s sovereignty.”

A Crushing Blow to the Regime

Friday’s boycott was a bitter defeat for a regime that is struggling to maintain the facade of legitimacy. The November Uprisings brought millions of Iranians into the streets to protest the regime, and despite the massive crackdown on protesters that killed 1,500 people, university students around the country rose up again in January. The mullahs have tried to blame the MEK Iran for the unrest in Iran, but the MEK Iran is only organizing the Resistance Movement. The people have made it clear that they want regime change.

The regime hoped that large voter participation in the Majlis elections would give the illusion that the people support the ruling government, but the Iranian people already voted for overthrow when they rose up in November. Despite pleas from regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, people refused to take part in the sham elections. Khamenei inadvertently made the best argument for boycotting the elections when he said, “Whoever likes the system must take part in the election.”

The Iranian people have spoken. It is time for the international community to listen to their voices and to separate the Iranian people from the Iranian regime. The mullahs do not represent the Iranian people, as was made clear on Friday. The world must recognize the expressed will of the Iranian people to overthrow their oppressors and establish a free and democratic Iran.