A Reformist Party Warns Ebrahim Raisi About the 'Erosion of Legitimacy' of the Islamic Republic

The reformist party 'Islamic Iran Nation Alliance' described the 2021 elections as a continuation of the 'consolidation of power' that has led to the 'erosion of legitimacy' of the Islamic Republic in the second year of Ebrahim Raisi's presidency. In an open letter to Raisi on Sunday, October 1, the party stated that when the 'soul and body' of society is 'under the pressure of securitization' in the name of security, it 'is on the path to collapse.' They referred to the presence of 'military and paramilitary individuals' in 'key positions' as the 'securitization of one of the pillars of governance in the thirteenth government.' Previously, economist Ahmad Alavi, residing in Stockholm, Sweden, told Voice of America that factions within the Islamic Republic are 'secretly and openly at odds with each other,' and with the rise of each faction, 'the situation completely changes.' The open letter from the Islamic Iran Nation Alliance also referenced the nationwide protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, which resulted in the deaths, injuries, and arrests of a 'significant number of compatriots.' The letter stated that the 'power structure' that spoke of dialogue with critics and opponents and widespread amnesty during the protests, after they subsided, returned the situation to 'a point worse than before the protests' with a 'change in the arrangement of security forces' and the approval of the 'hijab bill.' Other issues mentioned in the letter regarding women's rights violations in Iran include 'disruption in screening,' 'significant increase in child marriage,' 'forced childbirth,' and 'serial poisonings in girls' schools.' The letter also criticized internet filtering and access restrictions, the dissolution of professional organizations, the determination of wages for workers and social security retirees 'in violation of the law,' the dismissal of university professors, and the crackdown on students. In another section of the letter, economic issues and livelihood problems were addressed, emphasizing the 'terrifying inflation rate' based on official statistics, which has had 'numerous detrimental effects on the weak and middle classes' in Iran. The Islamic Iran Nation Alliance predicted that 'the inflation rate for the year 1402 will remain around 40 to 50 percent.' Ahmad Alavi, the economist, commented on the World Bank's report regarding the bleak outlook for Iran's economy under the Islamic Republic, stating that there is 'economic uncertainty' in Iran, of which inflation is one indicator. He noted that market players in Iran have no hope for economic stability due to political uncertainty. Previously, Davood Manzoor, head of the Islamic Republic's Planning and Budget Organization, claimed on October 1 that Iran's economic growth had reached '7.8 percent,' while the Statistical Center reported a growth of '7.9 percent' for the current spring. According to the latest results from the Statistical Center of Iran's seasonal national accounts, the growth rate of 'gross domestic product with oil was 7.9 percent and without oil was 6.1 percent' in the current spring. In this regard, economist Albert Baghzian did not find such statistics far-fetched, noting the effects of 'Corona and sanctions,' and stated that 'for several consecutive years, economic growth has either been negative or so low that reaching this figure in relation to previous growth is not surprising.' He emphasized that when we have had negative growth or growth of 'two or three percent' for several years, we should currently face a much higher number, for example, even 12 or 13 percent, 'to just be able to reach the previous decade.'