Etemad Online: Low Public Participation in Elections; A Political Activist: People Will Not Participate in the Election Circus

The website 'Etemad Online' reported that, alongside ongoing calls for a boycott of the upcoming elections in March by numerous figures, activists, organizations, and political parties, surveys indicate a participation rate between 32% to 38%. In this context, Behrouz Khaligh, a member of the Central Council of the Iranian Left Party, told Voice of America: 'The March elections are engineered and scripted, and people will not participate in this election circus.' Etemad Online wrote on Tuesday, March 1, that 'given the economic and social discontent across the country and the manner of vetting candidates and implementing oversight, it seems that even some factions of the principlists have little hope for significant participation in the upcoming elections.' The website noted that 'the latest surveys reportedly conducted by some official institutions confirm this theory,' adding: 'According to reports, the latest survey by IRIB estimates a nationwide participation of 35%.' The report also stated that '11% of those who may decide to participate on the final day are expected, with participation in Tehran estimated at 18%.' Etemad Online also referred to the latest survey by ISPA (Iranian Students Polling Agency), which estimated participation nationwide at 32%, with Tehran's participation capped at 16%. In this regard, sociologist Taghi Azadarmaki mentioned in an interview with the 'Ham Mihan' newspaper on Tuesday: 'Although low participation is anticipated, the methods for attracting public participation have not been revised,' adding: 'Society has concluded over the past decade that participation in elections to defend reformists or principlists does not lead to change or improvement.' He emphasized: 'A society that has reached such a conclusion decides to ignore issues related to elections.' Abolfazl Ghadiani, a political activist critical of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, called for a boycott of the upcoming elections by freedom-seekers, justice-seekers, and opponents of the regime with all their might in a note published on the Telegram channel 'Kalemeh.' Mr. Ghadiani stated that 'not participating is not enough,' stressing that 'the elections must be boycotted because a boycott is an active matter, and the boycotter asks others not to vote.' This political activist opposing Ali Khamenei pointed out that 'the regime of religious despotism has a long history of fraud and easily commits electoral fraud, fabricates votes, and is skilled in manipulating and presenting false statistics,' adding that the regime 'has now been exposed to the people, and they will never believe the percentage of participants in the election show announced by the government.' He also stated: 'The overwhelming majority of the nation has preemptively boycotted the election circus because they rightly realize that participating in the elections strengthens the severely shaky foundations of the evil power of Ali Khamenei, the autocratic power-seeker of Iran, and participating in the elections is trampling on the blood of beloved martyrs who selflessly sacrificed their lives for freedom, democracy, justice, and liberation from tyranny.' Abolfazl Ghadiani emphasized that 'there is no way other than a peaceful and non-violent social movement,' writing: 'The people will rise whenever they get the opportunity and will overthrow this regime because they have no other option left.' The political coalition 'Unity for a Secular Democratic Republic in Iran' stated in a statement on Monday, February 29, that the boycott of the March elections aligns with the demands of the revolutionary movement 'Women, Life, Freedom' and the widespread national-people's resistance for a non-violent transition from the Islamic Republic. This political coalition, formed by the Iranian Republican Alliance, the National Front of Iran-Europe, the Iranian Left Party, the National Front organizations abroad, and the Solidarity of Iranian Republicans in March 1401, described this year's elections as 'the coldest elections in the history of the Islamic Republic,' stating that 'the protesting people and the gray classes are generally indifferent to it, and even the majority of reformists have a negative attitude towards participating in it.' The coalition emphasized that 'saying no to the sham ballot boxes of the despotic system is a necessary step to defend the institution of elections in Iran and to reject the national humiliation imposed by the government.' Behrouz Khaligh, a member of the Central Council of the Iranian Left Party, told Voice of America: 'The March elections are engineered and scripted, and the Islamic Republic has staged an election show and wants to send elements melted into the velayat-e-faqih to the parliament.' He noted that in this election, the qualifications of candidates from the extreme right are primarily approved by the Guardian Council, and the competition is between two factions within the extreme right; between the Stability Front and supporters of Qalibaf. Mr. Khaligh emphasized that the revolutionary movement of Women, Life, Freedom in 1401 transformed the political scene in Iran, and the majority of the people have moved beyond the Islamic Republic, adding: 'In such circumstances, they will not participate in the election circus.' This political activist added: 'The overwhelming majority of the people rightly realize that participating in the sham elections means strengthening the shaky foundations of the ruling regime and, at its head, Ali Khamenei.' He pointed out that the majority of people did not participate in the last two elections, stating: 'Surveys indicate that this year's March elections will be the coldest elections in the entire history of the Islamic Republic.' In this election, various political factions, from moderate reformists and structural reformists to those advocating for a transition from the Islamic Republic and overthrowing it, are boycotting or refraining from participating in the elections. Behrouz Khaligh added: 'We must boycott the elections, leave the ballot boxes empty, expose the sham nature of the elections, and show that the path to liberation from the current miserable situation, the path to freedom, democracy, sustainable development, and social justice is through transitioning from the Islamic Republic and establishing democracy in Iran.' The executive center of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran reacted to the March elections, stating: 'The elections on March 11 are another opportunity to say 'no' again to the Islamic Republic.' The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan also issued a statement referring to the use of 'the propaganda and advertising apparatus of the Islamic Republic to attract as many people as possible to the farcical elections' and the strike in Kurdish cities in response to the execution of four Kurdish political prisoners on February 9, calling it a referendum in which once again a 'no' is said to the Islamic Republic, its agents, and its institutions. This party called for a widespread and comprehensive boycott of the March 11 elections and for this day to be turned into 'a black day for the Islamic Republic.' Following the announcement of the boycott of the elections and the publication of interviews from inside Evin prison, security agencies and judicial officials ordered that Saeed Madani and Hossein Razagh be transferred from their detention hall to other halls in Evin prison. According to this report, Mustafa Tajzadeh, a political activist imprisoned in Evin, will also serve his sentence separately from other prisoners. Kalemeh reported that 'the phones of these political prisoners have also been cut off.' The protests of retirees continue amid increasing livelihood problems and the announcement of non-participation in the elections.