Social Media Users Comment on the Failure of the Government's 'Election' Campaign

As the counting of votes from the Iranian government elections to replace Ebrahim Raisi began, social media users pointed to the expenses incurred to create excitement in this campaign, stating that despite the costs and mobilization of various political and professional groups, the elections in Iran failed. These reactions caught the attention of official media in the Islamic Republic, with the news website Khabar Online publishing some user messages from the social network X in response to this issue. According to Khabar Online, one user wrote: 'An election with a 40% participation has no winner.' Another user commented: 'What have we done to the people that they no longer have any inclination towards us?' Sadegh Al-Hosseini, a social media activist, wrote: 'The people are angry. They are really angry, seriously... No logical argument convinces them to participate. There is one week to convince the people and bring them back so that radicals do not form a minority government in the second round.' Another user sarcastically noted: 'Participation in Telegram games is higher than participation in your elections.' Mohammad Sarafraz, former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, also emphasized by reposting one of his past writings: 'I wish they would learn a lesson.' In his message published on X, Sarafraz wrote: 'Despite the massive media advertising and the colorful promises of presidential candidates, political participation did not increase. The votes for the desired candidate decreased. They were beating water in a mortar.' Yasser Jabraili, a principlist activist, also wrote on X: 'The 40% participation is nothing but a Mongol-like attack on the livelihood of the people by the decision-making of neoliberal bearded men bowing to the verse. The way to revive the republic goes through justice.' Another user reposted a statement from Ali Khamenei, writing: 'Seyyed Ali Khamenei said in the spring of 2001 that 40% participation in elections in some countries is a 'disgrace.' Many protesters, families of the bereaved, political and civil activists, and political parties and organizations of various orientations had previously announced that they would not participate in the 'government appointments' and 'election circus.' Political prisoners in Evin prison also refused to participate in this voting. Results from the polling institute 'Gomaan' indicated that 65% of eligible voters would not participate in this election. According to the announcement from the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic, none of the candidates from the Islamic Republic were able to achieve the required votes to replace Ebrahim Raisi, and Massoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili advanced to the second round of voting. According to claimed official statistics, about 77% of eligible voters in Greater Tehran refused to vote for the government candidates for the presidency. Meanwhile, independent observers and sources believe that the Islamic Republic manipulates election statistics, announcing voter participation higher than the actual level. The nationwide participation rate, based on these disputed statistics, is reported to be 40%, which is considered the lowest in the history of the Islamic Republic.