Reactions on Social Media to the Announcement of Government Election Results: Behdarizadeh is the 'Most Illegitimate' Head of State in the History of the Islamic Republic

On Saturday, users on social media reacted widely to the news of Masoud Behdarizadeh's victory in the government election to determine the successor to Ebrahim Raisi among candidates appointed by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. Saba Bakhtiari, the aunt of Pouya Bakhtiari, one of the victims of the November 2019 protests, wrote on social media platform X: 'The removal of Raisi, the appointment of Behdarizadeh, and Zarif's limitless clowning all indicate that there is no longer any news of Biden's money, and the government is preparing for Trump's return.' Shirin Ebadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, referred to Behdarizadeh's victory in the election boycotted by the majority of Iranians as 'the third defeat of reformists' and wrote on her Instagram page: 'Reformists and moderates have come to save the regime's ship; if they do not bring about fundamental change, the will of the people will be 'a wave on that ship, which will break it piece by piece.' Alieh Matlabi, a journalist and women's rights activist who abstained from participating in the government election, stated: 'The people are the real winners of this election, people who stood firmly for their demands and, by giving meaning to 'us,' said a collective 'no' to lies, deception, and tyranny. This 'no' refers to the right to choose and freedom, to the right to a normal and human life, and to the power of our togetherness.' Amjad Hosseinpanahi, a human rights activist and brother of Ramin Hosseinpanahi, a political activist executed by the Islamic Republic, claimed that 'widespread fraud' occurred in Kurdistan. He noted that, for example, in the village of Korkoreh near Sanandaj, only 25 people voted, while the participation rate in that village was reported as 2,500 (the total population of the village). Similar actions were taken in almost all villages and suburbs and even cities! Kamabiz Ghafouri, a journalist, reacted to the news of the cancellation of Behdarizadeh's press conference with domestic and foreign reporters by saying: 'He was pulled by the ear from above so that he wouldn't take the presidential phase without coordination with 'Agha'! The first breach of promise, half a day after his imminent appointment was announced!' Jamshid Barzegar, a journalist, analyzed Behdarizadeh's victory in the government election to determine Raisi's successor: 'If the past of the Islamic Republic serves as a basis for predicting its future, the joy of many who voted for Behdarizadeh will not last long, and with the continuation of the main policies of the Islamic Republic, a wave of regret for casting this vote will soon begin.' A user identifying himself as 'Ali Nanavayi' wrote about the participation rate in the government election, assuming the accuracy of the statistics provided by the Islamic Republic: 'Raisi previously formed the most illegitimate government of the Islamic Republic with 30% of the votes of eligible voters; now Behdarizadeh has broken his record with 26% of the votes of eligible voters.' The Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic announced a few hours after the end of the government voting to determine the fourteenth president of the Islamic Republic that Masoud Behdarizadeh would replace Ebrahim Raisi and become the ninth 'President of the Islamic Republic.' The 'Elections' headquarters of this ministry claimed early Saturday morning that they had counted 30,530,175 votes, with Masoud Behdarizadeh receiving 16,384,403 votes and Saeed Jalili obtaining 13,538,179 votes. This statistic and the claim of nearly 50% participation come amid numerous observations from citizen-reporters in Iran and other parts of the world indicating low participation and empty polling stations, as well as widespread boycotting of this round of voting. Reza Parchizadeh: Raisi's death became an opportunity for Khamenei to relieve some pressure off his regime. Behzad Mehrani: The Islamic Republic considers the people's vote as a backing for its legitimacy. Molavi Abdulhamid: When 60% of the people do not participate in elections, it indicates their dissatisfaction. Rainy weather did not prevent opponents of the Islamic Republic from gathering in London; voters received 'sandwiches.' The 'significantly noticeable' emptiness of polling stations in some provinces; political prisoners abstained from voting. The announcement of Behdarizadeh as the 'President of the Islamic Republic' by the government; citizens speak of low participation. Hossein Ronaghi reacted to the government election on July 15: 'The second 'no' was much louder.' Protests by Iranians abroad coincided with the second round of voting to determine Raisi's successor.