National Front of Iran: We Will Not Participate in the Presidential Election Show

The Central Council of the National Front of Iran announced in a statement on Saturday, June 16, that it will not participate in the presidential election show of the Islamic Republic of Iran scheduled for next month. The statement emphasized that 'in the structure of the Islamic Republic government, the president is an individual without authority in the major and important policies of the country' and 'according to one of the former elected officials, is nothing more than a logistics manager.' It stated that the president 'does not have the right to exercise sovereignty on behalf of the nation.' The Central Council of the National Front of Iran referred to the vetting process of election candidates by the 'appointed Guardian Council,' labeling the six approved candidates as 'ineffective pawns and rejected figures of the government and among the culprits of the existing major crises' in Iran. In another part of its statement, the political organization referenced the 'severe repression of peaceful protests' two years ago by women and men who took to the streets with the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom,' resulting in hundreds killed and injured, thousands arrested, and some detainees executed. It added that 'the result of these behaviors and the inefficacies of governments over several decades since the revolution was seen in the recent parliamentary elections, where the minimal participation of even less than ten percent of eligible individuals clearly demonstrated the complete distrust of our awakened society and the deep gap between our people and the Islamic Republic government.' The Central Council of the National Front of Iran emphasized that 'under the current conditions, our people seek transformation and the selection of a new path to determine their destiny and change the structure through the complete freedom of parties and press and freedom of expression and opinion.' Consequently, it considered participation in the presidential election as 'endorsing the wrong policies of the rulers in past years and continuing the current miserable social situation and its perpetuation.' The statement noted that 'members of the National Front of Iran will not participate in such a show that is labeled as an election and is generally far from the principles of healthy and fair elections, and under no circumstances will they consent to a choice between the bad and the worse.' Previously, several political figures, activists, and organizations opposing the Islamic Republic have called for a boycott of the upcoming elections. In this context, Prince Reza Pahlavi described the selection of the fourteenth government president from among the figures considered by the Guardian Council as 'the regime's election circus' and 'more vulgar than ever,' stressing that 'the response of the great Iranian nation to this farce is a decisive no.' Abolfazl Ghadiani, a political activist opposing the Islamic Republic, also wrote in an article analyzing the current political situation in Iran: 'Boycotting the elections is an effective action in protest against the ruling regime.' He stated that 'in reality, the elections will be a show with the aim of completing the purification process and attracting international legitimacy,' predicting that the regime might concede to a semi-reformist government to regain its lost legitimacy and advance its policies. The Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran also called on everyone on June 7 to stay away from the election farce of the Islamic Republic on July 29 and actively boycott the regime's disgraceful show, stating: 'Hand in hand, let us strive to strengthen the people's power to take control of their community's destiny by encouraging organization and consolidation in various sections of popular movements.' The next election of the Islamic Republic will be held on July 29 to determine the president of the fourteenth government. This election, which many consider to be 'appointments,' was added to the political calendar of the Islamic Republic following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.