Posted on 06/17/2005 3:23:34 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
First Reports on the Iranian Election - Why the media is getting it wrong
The western media is reporting a close election in Iran and some are claiming that it is so close that the government has extended the hours of the polling places in order to accommodate the voting public.
What is wrong with these reports?
According to various news accounts, the international media in Iran for the election is estimated between 70 and 200 foreign journalists. Opposition leaders claim that each journalist is required to have a government minder present with them. They also report that these journalists do not have the freedom to visit anywhere they choose. So the international media is reporting from government designated polling places.
In previous elections, there have been news reports that the government deliberately made the number of polling places in the neighborhood so small that it creates larger crowds, creating a photo opportunity for the journalists.
In other cases the regime has also been reported to have bus loads of people with fake ids traveling from location to location to increase the size of the turnouts at these photo-op polling places. This is believed to be case today.
I was told that NITV reported this morning that a Belgian journalist had a confrontation with Iranian authorities when the journalist was refused a request to visit other polling independently but that the government had not authorized in advance.
Perhaps more importantly, the Iranian government, in an attempt to frame the election coverage in ways that promote their ends, reported earlier today saying that 14,000,000 voters had already cast ballots (approx. 30%of the voting public), according to a CNN broadcast report. These same reports claim that the race is close and Rafsanjani is in the lead.
But if you notice the Iranian people use paper ballots. They are placed in secured ballot boxes and have yet to be hand counted. These ballots have yet to be counted. It is therefore impossible for the government to provide the statistics they are claiming. Exit polling is useless since the people of Iran are unlikely to report honestly how they voted for fear of reprisals.
This is nothing new in Iran. In past elections they have at times reported more ballots cast than there are voters in many districts.
An Iranian opposition leader told me that while watching official Iranian TV reports on the election, they showed people going out to the polls in large numbers, but then they noticed a banner in the video clip was referring to the last Presidential election, not today's. I was also told that another video report used video from the past parliamentary election. If the turnout was as is being reported they would have no reason to use old footage.
So what is the truth? Observers in Iran claim in most areas the voter turnout has been much lower than past elections. But it will take some time to have a better idea on what the turnout was in actuality.
I apologize that I have not been able to links yet to this report. Be patient. More reports will be coming soon.
The following is one example of a normally busy street in Iran. (courtesy of news.sosiran.com and IranFocus)
And finally, a few photos.
- Willisms.com reports Will was nearly arrested checking out an Iranian polling place in Houston, Texas.
- Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Iranian Foreign minister Kharrazi: Bush's comments on Iran election due to his ignorance.
- Yahoo News reports the Institute for Public Accuracy, has been in Iran during the final days of the presidential election, interviewing a wide range of people.
- Adnkronos International reported that Iranian police have manhandled the wife and brother of jailed journalist and dissident, Akbar Ganji, during the ninth straight day of protest in front of the notorious Evin prison.
- SMCCDI reported protest letters were faxed today, by the Movement, to several Hotel corporations in the U.S. following the use of several of their facilities as propaganda platforms by operatives of the Islamic regime.
- The Jerusalem Post reported Iranians began casting votes Friday in what could be the country's tightest presidential election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
- The Daily Star reported the dark undemocratic cloud hanging over Iran has a silver lining.
- The NY Times reported an unusual campaign season for Iran wound down Thursday and was also marred by extraordinary violence.
- The Guardian reports why Iran's clerics fear this election.
- Christopher Hitchens takes a looks at Mind over Mullahs.
- Trita Parsi in a Part One Debate: Opinon - Sean Penn and the Neocons.
- Eli Lake in a Part Two Debate: Opinion - Anti-neocon rhetoric versus reality.
- Iran Focus reported that Mohsen Rezai Iran'’s ex-Revolutionary Guards chief abandons race.
- Iran Focus reported that Rafsanjani'’s publicity stunt turns into a flop.
- The Financial Express said the US cautioned India that it would be making a mistake if it went ahead with the gas pipeline project with Iran.
- Los Angeles Times reported that Iran is pulling out the stops to woo voters.
- Reuters reported the United States accused Tehran of deceiving the U.N. nuclear watchdog about its atomic ambitions.
- Khaleej Times reported Iran has announced it will make arrangements for polling in 33 US cities.
- VOA News says no matter who is elected, major changes are not expected because hard-line religious leaders will continue to rule the country with an iron hand.
- Stephen Schwartz worked as a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle for exactly ten years and looks at the Chronicles decision to send Sean Penn to Iran.
- Xinhuanet reported a bomb exploded in Iran's southeastern city of Zahedan, Iran.
- The Scotsman reported that Rafsanjani admitted that Iran may in the past have deceived the IAEA and the West.
- Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi reported on Sean Penn in Iran. Valuable insight into the thinking of the far left on Iran.
- The NY Sun reported that the leading "reformist" hinted that he may withdraw from the race. He didn't.
- CNN and the son of the former Shah, Reza Pahlavi, discuss the Iranian election. Video.
- Iranian Blogger Windseed provides an election update.
- Iranian Blogger Mr. Behi on the election eve.
- Iranian Blogger Wishmeluck on the night before the election.
- Iranian Blogger Arash Jalali says To vote or not to vote, that seems to be the question.
- Iranian Blogger Hoder discussed Iran's Unreliable polls.
- SMCCDI violent clashes rocked, yesterday evening, several areas of the Iranian Capital.
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Why should liberal Media care about people of Iran?
Hey, we do that here in Seattle too!!
**Comments from Iran**
Iran's election feed back - Iranian student reporting
Various | June 18th, 05 | Self
Posted on 06/17/2005 by Khashayar
Reza from Tehran: This is 10 am in northern part of Tehran. There is no body in the site and I hope officials would announce the number of voters truly.
Hasan from Qom: IRIB (TV & RADIO) is just showing certain places where people go to vote. Most polls are empty here in our city.
Amir from Kashmar (east of Iran): No body is around, especially in the morning.
Sam from Tehran: I did vote to save my country from likes of Rafsanjani. I voted for Mr. Moin
Mehdi from Shiraz: I have counted 10-12 people in this poll in our area. Most of them were forced to vote.
Majid from Tehran: I voted for Imam Zaman to come and save us from the regime.
Fardin from Switzerland: Regime thugs attacked those of us who were protesting against the regime in front of one of the polling stations.
Mohsen from Moscow: Here, only embassy staff will vote.
Ehsan from Mashad: There aren't many people voting today. Most polls are empty
Farzad from West of Tehran: No body is at polls now in Shahrake Gharb. We voted once and we saw the outcome. That was enough
Razaghpour from Central Tehran: Most people here are voting for Moin
Ali from Velenjak north of Tehran: I check the local poll 3-4 times today and there were no body at the polls. This is not a true election.
Mohamed from Tehran: IRIB is doing its best to get people out of their houses. The regime media cast lots of great music which were once banned to encourage people to vote.
Hadi from Esfehan: Poll stations are not crowded here. All of us know this is regime's game.
Shida from Tehran: I just voted to have an official seal in my ID card. I needed that.
Artin a christian guy from Orumiya: The regime had to shut some polling stations down due to lack of people to vote.
Aidin from AzarShahr: I made a mistake by voting today again. But I voted for Moin. I hope he is not going to be another "Khatami". I hope the regime doesn't interpret our votes as vote to the regime.
Sahar From Tehran: We will not be fooled again. No body is voting here today.
Ehsan from Shiraz: As an Iranian, I never vote for an Anti-Iranian regime
Masoud from tehran: Wherever IRIB (state run media) is present, polls are crowded. People would like to see themselves on TV.
Hadi from Najaf Abad: Thanks to people, we have boycotted this illegitimate election
Elham from Tehran: As far as I know, no body has voted here.
Mehdi Dehgah from Yazd: People have voted very well here.
Shahin from Tehran: IRIB shows previous election videos.
Ebrahim from Tabriz: People have done well to boycotte this sham election
Hamid from Canada: I have come back to Iran to see my family. It seems that the regime is begging people to vote.
Mahnaz from Tehran: it is 11 am here and no body is around
Ahmad from Ghom: I believe it is gonna be a run off between Moin and Rafsanjani
Tara from Kurdistan: We will not be cheated again. We never believe their lies.
Have a link to the story?
I believe it's a compilation of comments from different websites and forums. Here's the link for it's post on FR.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1425348/posts
To read today’s thread click here.
Join Us At Today's Iranian Alert Thread – The Most Underreported Story Of The Year!
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