Replies

Can Iran's Election Row be Resolved?

January 13, 2004
BBC News
BBCi

A political crisis in Iran sparked by the disqualification of candidates for next month's parliamentary election is intensifying.

Vice-President Mohammad Sattarifar has warned that the government may resign if there is no resolution, although the BBC's Jim Muir says this does not amount to a specific threat.

More than 2,000 reformist candidates have been disqualified by the Guardian Council - a highly conservative unelected body, whose powers the reformists are keen to curb.

Iran's Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said he will only intervene after legal procedures have been exhausted.

Widespread public disillusionment could result in a low turnout for the elections on 20 February.

Can the argument be resolved? Should the reformists be allowed to stand? Should the Ayatollah intervene?

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

Human beings in any part of the world have the God-given right to express themselves without the hindrance of self-appointed representatives of the Almighty. Freedom of expression to Iran !!!
Ali Pahlavi, London, United Kingdom

Throughout history no regime or government has been around forever, and if they don't have the public support, they will be collapse at a much faster pace.
AliReza, Stockholm, Sweden

There is no point in resignation of the government. All the Mullahs have to go. A country cannot be run by some turbaned theologists and dictators. People of Iran want a democratic and secular regime!
Bijan, Leeds, England

As an American who lived in Iran for 15 years although I don't support the theocracy. I would like to see the reformers follow the legal process. The hardliners have created many laws for their own convenience while never standing by any laws once their own stake is in the middle. Their reason is that what they are doing is what Allah wants and his law/will is above all laws. The reformers should stick to the legal process or they will become just like their foes. Mass resignation sounds very legal to me.
Saffar, Cincinnati, Ohio

If the Georgians could overthrow their dictatorial regime peacefully so can the people of Iran. I hope they make their move soon.
Vishen, Malaysia

The people of Iran are sick and tired of religious dictatorship and want the way paved for a free and fair election.
Farhad, London, England

Reformists should have done this a few years ago when they had the public support. Now it's late and I guess the nation will not act seriously to support them. Iranians are now some steps ahead of governmental reformists and would like a real democracy not a controlled Islamic one. I believe that there eventually will be a compromise between left/right wings. However, this will not encourage people to attend that election party at all. The recent sad earthquake of Bam definitely showed that this regime, in total and not only conservatives, is completely incompetence to rule a country like Iran.
Reza Alavi, Iran

Iranians in Iran don't care about reformist v. hard-liner. Reformists haven't been popular since 2001, majority of student groups don't support them and hardly anyone supports the hard-liners. The masses support a Secular democracy, by pushing this row the hard-liners are risking a total revolution. They better be careful.
Ali Reza Rowhani, Tehran, Iran

While the current impasse may be resolved, the root of this problem never will, not while an unelected few hold power over those in a democratic process. The people of Iraq should pay close attention, a theocracy does not work, especially in a religion of unequal rights and limited freedoms.
L Miller, Los Angeles, CA

Iran is at its growth phase. The people of Iran have gone through hardships and will continue to do so until the core of the society is well educated and informed about the outcome of different ruling regimes; as they have learned about the previous regime. The people of Iran have experienced foreign occupation, monarchy and are experiencing religious theocracy. When this phase is complete the society will be fully matured to establish a secular government that will manage the country based on principles of business and laws of market. A government that will respect religion and religious beliefs of all kind and will acknowledge that religion is a private matter.

People will soon realize that Gods representation on earth is within their hearts and soul. God is represented by nature, not by Mankind. Nature will follow its due course and people and societies at large will adapt accordingly during this process. Let's hope for the best.
Mina Roshanfekr, Ontario, Canada

Going through motions of the democratic process does not change the fact the Iran is a theocracy. The elections seem like a moot point to me since the council of guardians are loath to give up any power. No surprise that the Iranians cannot be bothered to vote. The charade is adding insult to injury.
Robert Arisz, Amsterdam

This is a game plan between parties in a dictatorship regime. People don't believe in it and do not care about it.
Ali, Iran, Tehran

History will once again repeat itself in Iran. In the same manner that the Shah was deposed due to his autocratic rule, the clerical regime will face a similar fate. This will pave the way for Iran having a liberal representative democracy based on the Rule of Law.
Mohsen E, London, UK

Its a very tough position for Khatami and the other reformers to play. On one hand, they are the priests' fig leaf, helping create the perception that Iran has democracy when it doesn't. Quitting would be the only honest thing to do. On the other hand, without the reformers, limited as they are, what hope do people have for change? Religious government is not only an anachronism, it also concentrates too much power in too few hands and has too little accountability. That spells trouble every time.
Ross Larsen, London

The election row can only be resolved when the mullahs are brought to justice for their crimes (as it is for other totalitarian dictators) and when the Iranians would give up Islam and go back to their real Persian roots. At this point it seems that unfortunately the "democratic means" will not work and Iran must go through a shake-up.
Ramin, Tehran, Iran

As a faithful Iranian I am hoping that my country will evolve. However, from an educated person's standpoint, my opinion is that there will never be democracy or free elections in Iran until the supreme leader is deposed, the guardian council disbanded, and a clear separation of church and state. The Iranian parliament is a farce. Iran is in every respect a dictatorship - not unlike Saddam's regime, albeit less ruthless and tyrannical. Sadly, the motive for control over Iran is really economic and not religious. The Guardian council says they are preserving Islam but any informed person knows that that is a lie. They are trying to preserve their vested interest in the economy and continue to profit while the population suffers in poverty. I doubt Mohammed would approve. Let the people judge how "Islamic" the ruling clerics are for a change!
Baz, London, UK

If these people are have done nothing wrong why should they be barred from standing in an election? In the end it is those who vote who will decide whether they are fit to represent them. If you unfairly bar part of the community you only build up resentment which will tear a country apart, this should be a time of reconciliation and solidarity within Iran especially as certain Americans will be looking for an excuse for military conquest before their presidential elections; nothing has changed politically from the time of Rome - conquest always goes down well with the public
Dave, UK

This standoff will continue until the Iranian people are able to rule themselves. The government is being run by people who might have been supported in their rise to power by the local populace, but the Iranian public doesn't appear to support them or their ideology. It is not good for Iran to have a revolution every quarter of a century and that is why I hope the unelected clerics will submit themselves to the will of the electorate, rather than continuing to cling onto their power.
Graeme Phillips, Berlin, Germany (normally UK)

I hope and pray that the supreme leader and the guardian council see where Iran is heading and voluntarily give up power before the country implodes. I am all for an advisory council to help guide the government, but an unelected body should not keep power. I fear they will remain stubborn and keep the country in chaos.
Nadeem Hhaikh, London, UK

I believe the election in Iran is just a game. They vote for themselves and they don't accept people's voting. It is just another cat and mouse play by conservative hard liners and reformists. They are together in this play and the people in Iran are awake and they don't accept these lies any more. As an Iranian student, even if it did come to an election, I would never vote to either of these parties for your information.
Mina Tahmasebi Pour, Iran

By asking the question "Should the Ayatollah intervene?" there is an implication that somehow Khamenei has a potentially constructive role to play. In fact he is the main opponent of liberty in Iran and the most powerful advocate for the Iranian police state. He and his associates rule through the threat of violence and other types of punishment and intimidation such as barring people from jobs. Clerical rule is the problem not part of the solution.
Will McElgin, Chicago USA

Will McElgin seems to be badly informed. In fact "Supreme Leader" Khamenei is relatively liberal. However, far from being "supreme", his power to make any real reform is severely constrained by hardliners such as the "Guardian Council". Let's hope that the Iranian people can curb the hardliners' powers and achieve real, independent democracy.
Merlin Cox, London, UK

The Western media again displays its love for blowing a domestic Iranian issue, out of global proportion. Every opportunity to condemn Iran will be gladly taken. Why have we not heard of the political domestic troubles of Brazil, Cuba, Morocco, Canada and every other country - of course all countries have domestic political problems! Yes, this Iranian issue can certainly be resolved, why do we not leave them to it as opposed to sticking our noses in everywhere they do not belong - and are not welcome.
Muhammed Reza Tajri, London, UK

It's interesting how governments seem to almost universally get lost in their own greed for either power or money, and forget their own roots. Begun in "revolution against an oppressive dictatorial regime", the Iranian Mullahs have become the same thing themselves. They are probably fairly close to the danger point of being overthrown themselves by the very people and exact same process that put them into the government in the first place.
Mike, Atlanta, US

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/3392349.stm