Shahabuddin Haeri, a political activist and son of the former Friday prayer leader of Shiraz, stated: "I believe that if people are qualified to participate in parliamentary elections, they are certainly qualified to participate in a referendum as well." He emphasized that "elections and referendums, either both or none," and clarified: "If you do not consider us qualified to participate in a referendum for constitutional changes, relations with the U.S., or mandatory hijab, then we are not qualified to participate in parliamentary elections either." On April 29, Ali Khamenei explicitly rejected any proposal for holding any model of a referendum, stating that many people and participants in a referendum may not have a proper understanding of the referendum's subject. Previously, separately, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Hassan Rouhani, former leaders of the Islamic Republic, had called for referendums on issues such as politics, economy, and the Constitution. According to Article 59 of the Constitution, very important economic, political, social, and cultural issues can be put to a referendum and public votes, but the request for public votes must be approved by two-thirds of the total members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Shahabuddin Haeri Shirazi, son of the former Friday prayer leader of Shiraz, had previously criticized the suppression of peaceful protests, stating that if the Islamic Republic does not kill or blind the people, it will see how many people will come to the streets. Shahabuddin Haeri, who insisted he holds a degree of Ijtihad, in a debate with Ali Zolal, a cleric supporting Ali Khamenei, during a media roundtable on "Harf No" regarding the evaluation of Khamenei's 35-year leadership, stated that "the demands of the leadership are exactly contradictory to its policies" and emphasized that "we have no right to make people miserable for the slogan 'Death to America and Israel.'"
Referendum and Elections; Haeri: If People Do Not Understand 'Referendum', They Cannot Participate in Elections Either
Shahabuddin Haeri argues that if the Iranian people are deemed qualified to vote in parliamentary elections, they should also be allowed to participate in referendums. His comments come in response to Ali Khamenei's rejection of referendums, highlighting a growing debate about public participation in governance. This discussion is significant as it reflects the tensions between the Iranian leadership and calls for greater democratic engagement.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Shahabuddin Haeri criticized the Iranian leadership's rejection of referendums, arguing that if Iranians can vote in elections, they should also be able to participate in referendums. This comes after Ali Khamenei dismissed the idea of referendums on important national issues.
- Ali Khamenei rejected the idea of referendums, citing concerns about public understanding.
- Shahabuddin Haeri argues for equal public participation in both elections and referendums.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's political system combines elements of theocracy and democracy, with the Supreme Leader holding significant power. Calls for referendums reflect a push for more democratic engagement.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%