Debate Between Opponents and Supporters; Khamenei: Those Who Did Not Vote in the First Round Are Not 'Opponents of the Regime'

Two days before the second round of the 14th presidential election and following the second debate between Saeed Jalili and Masoud Pezeshkian, reactions to participation or boycotting the elections continue. The leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on Wednesday, July 4, in his first reaction to the weak participation of Iranian citizens in the first round of elections, stated that those who did not vote in this round are not 'opponents of the regime.' Ali Khamenei described the second round of elections, scheduled for July 6, as 'very important' and said: 'Those who love Islam, the Islamic Republic, and the progress of the country should show this by participating in the elections.' He added: 'If someone thinks that those who did not vote are against the regime, they are seriously mistaken. This understanding is one hundred percent wrong.' Khamenei called for increased participation for the 'dignity' of the government and to 'silence the enemy.' The leader of the Islamic Republic stated that the 'gathering of people' in the second round of elections should be 'exciting' so that, according to him, it becomes a source of 'honor' and 'pride' for the Islamic Republic, and it gains the 'ability' to realize its 'own voice and intentions' both domestically and in the broader strategic context of the country. In the first round of the presidential election held on July 1, more than 60% of eligible voters did not participate. Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili received the majority of votes and advanced to the second round. The conduct of elections by the Islamic Republic of Iran significantly deviates from global standards, and most candidates are eliminated from the competition due to severe governmental filtering. The main power in the Islamic Republic is held by the leader, who determines the direction of elections and domestic and foreign policies using the tools and institutions at his disposal. Voter turnout in various elections in Iran has sharply declined since the protests of December 2017, with the turnout in the first round of the 1403 presidential election dropping to 39.9%, the lowest figure in the history of the Islamic Republic. In another part of his remarks, Khamenei characterized those who did not participate in the elections as individuals who, according to him, 'may not like a certain official' or 'may be a number of people who do not like the regime itself' and 'have problems, are busy, do not have patience, do not have time, and face various obstacles for this.' Ali Khamenei called for a distinction between these two groups and stated that 'this is a very big mistake. This error should not be committed by anyone.' He emphasized that 'in the first stage of the elections, people's participation was less than we expected and predicted. All predictions were higher than what actually happened,' and he called for 'those who are political and sociologically inclined' to examine the low participation in the elections. These remarks come at a time when many critics and opponents of the Islamic Republic have warned about its repressive domestic policies in various areas and its foreign ambitions in recent years, demanding a change in its policies. However, officials of the Islamic Republic, especially Ali Khamenei, have always rejected these criticisms, claiming 'popularity' and 'acceptability' of the Islamic Republic in Iran and the world. Reactions from opponents and supporters of the elections The second debate between the two candidates who advanced to the second round of the presidential election, held on the evening of July 3, quickly turned into a scene of disagreement between the parties regarding foreign policy and its economic impacts. In response to this trend, Mohammad Khatami, former President of Iran, issued a statement analyzing the recent presidential election and urged people to participate in the second round of elections and vote for Masoud Pezeshkian to, as he put it, 'at least prevent the worsening of the situation.' Mr. Khatami, who has served two terms as President of Iran, made this request while also referring to the issue of the 'discontent of the majority' of the Iranian people with the governing system in his statement. He said: 'In the recent elections, more than 60% of the people did not participate, which is unprecedented since the revolution.' According to Mr. Khatami, 'this behavior is essentially a sign of people's dissatisfaction with the conditions prevailing in society and indicates the majority's discontent with the governing system. This dissatisfaction is not limited to those who did not participate; many of those who did participate are also dissatisfied and voted in hope of change.' Behzad Nabavi, a prominent figure among reformists, also encouraged people to participate in the elections in an interview with the Etemad newspaper and warned about the 'consequences' of not voting. He stated that not voting is effectively voting for the hardliner Masoud Pezeshkian and could lead to a worsening of the country's situation, especially given the possibility of 'Donald Trump coming back to power in the U.S.' Nabavi concluded by saying that he does not believe that choosing Pezeshkian will turn the country into a 'paradise,' but he believes that if he is not elected, the situation will be much worse than it is now. Saeed Leilaz, a reformist political activist, also pointed out that 'in the past three years, the number of voters has remained stable, and the conservative vote has shifted to the reformists,' stating: 'A large number of people have left the system. When reformists are not welcomed, it is a cause for grief because we are the only bastion of the system.' Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary, also called on citizens to participate in the elections on Wednesday, July 4, but only stated that 'the more participation in this election, the more it will enhance our internal and international credibility.' 'Jalili and Pezeshkian are two sides of the same coin' Meanwhile, the debate between opponents and supporters of participating in the elections continues. Hossein Ronaghi, a political activist with a history of imprisonment, wrote in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) that 'Jalili and Pezeshkian are two sides of the same coin; a coin called the Islamic Republic.' He described the presidential election as 'a show' and 'meaningless,' stating that 'the personal fate of someone like Saeed Jalili is clear. Those who vote for Jalili are part of this regime. However, the reformists, who are part of the government themselves, try to present themselves as separate from the Islamic Republic with lies and deception, portraying themselves as saviors, freedom-seekers, and people-oriented to gain the votes of a small part of society that hopes for change through the ballot box.' According to him, 'every vote for either of these individuals and, in fact, participation in the elections is a confirmation of the regime, participation in the continuation of the current situation, and ignoring the crimes and injustices.' Kameliyeh Sajadian, the mother of Mohammad Hassan Torkman, one of the victims of the nationwide protests, also stated in a video message: 'There is no good and bad; I also do not intend to choose between bad and worse; you should also step out of this radicalism.' Ms. Sajadian added: 'We must learn to be content with the least, learn to defend our rights, and fight for our rights because rights are always to be claimed.' Ali Karimi, a former star of Iranian football, also wrote in a short message: 'Every vote waters this tree... do not betray Iran...' However, Abdolkarim Soroush, a religious thinker, expressed support for Masoud Pezeshkian and stated that 'one of the dear prisoners and the beloved prisoners asked me to highlight the name of that beloved physician, and therefore I say what is evident: Jalili is not your friend. Your doctor is Pezeshkian.' Message from Reza Pahlavi for Boycotting the Elections Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the last crown prince of Iran, in a message urged participants in the first round of the presidential election to set aside 'fear and false hope' and added: 'Join the overwhelming majority who, on July 1 of this year, consciously and courageously said no to the Islamic Republic.' Referring to the families seeking justice for the protests of 2017, 2019, and 2022, he called on the Iranian people to join them in boycotting the elections and also 'political prisoners from various factions.' In this video message, Pahlavi emphasized that 'the goal of both the reformist and conservative factions in the Islamic Republic regime is to plunder more resources and wealth of the people and take a larger share of the 'revolution's table.' The last crown prince of Iran also stated in an interview with Voice of America opposing the presidential election in Iran that 'the purpose of elections for the Islamic Republic is not to express the people's demands but rather to show the world that we have legitimacy.' He rejected both candidates in this election and said: 'I do not know which of the monsters of this regime they have not yet revealed. We have passed this stage. Now people understand that their problems will only be solved when the regime is overthrown.' On the other hand, following reports of 'support from Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard' for Masoud Pezeshkian, Zahra Mousavi, their daughter, denied this issue. Narges Mousavi wrote in a message on her Instagram page that any statement from Zahra Rahnavard and Mir Hossein Mousavi regarding 'the elections' is only valid if published in their own words. Last year, around the time of the 'parliamentary elections,' similar news was published and was denied at that time.