The Islamic Republic Awaits Another Friday; Opponents Say Not Voting is the Most Effective 'Civil Resistance'

As government efforts continue to encourage the people of Iran to participate in the second round of the election show to replace Ebrahim Raisi on Friday, July 6, a number of opponents of the Islamic Republic have deemed 'not voting' as the most effective means of 'civil resistance.' Forough Kanaan, a social science researcher, stated in an interview with VOA on Tuesday that abstaining from the government elections and boycotting voting is 'a correct political move' that effectively conveys the voices of opponents to the government and other countries around the world. She emphasized that not voting is an impactful civil struggle, saying, 'The Islamic Republic's lobbies in Europe are heavily promoting candidates affiliated with the so-called reformist faction to persuade Western countries to negotiate and ensure the survival of the Islamic Republic.' Hamed Ismailioun, a member of the Association of Families of Victims of Flight PS752, also noted on Tuesday that the majority of people did not participate in the Islamic Republic's voting, writing in a post on X: 'Democracy is not achieved through engineered voting but by transitioning away from the Islamic Republic.' He stressed that 'Iran deserves democracy' and added, 'We will not turn back. Creating a vision for transition from the Islamic Republic, organizing political tendencies, laying the groundwork for joint collaborations, strengthening an independent civil society, civil disobedience, and resistance in a democratic context is the path ahead of us.' Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Abdollah Naseri, former CEO of the Islamic Republic's state news agency IRNA, stated that overcoming the dominant discourse in Iran is necessary, saying that as long as the Islamic Republic exists, the most beautiful and effective means of 'civil resistance' is boycotting elections. He, who was the CEO during Mohammad Khatami's presidency, added, 'Now most people in Iran oppose the religious government of the Supreme Leader, and reformists must also understand and believe in the falseness of the elections and stay away from oscillating movements in politics.' In a text published on the Telegram channel 'Kalemeh,' Abdollah Naseri emphasized, 'A clear rift has formed within the IRGC, and this is a valuable opportunity for the Women, Life, Freedom revolution and secularists in Iran. Most people in Iran who oppose the religious government of the Supreme Leader must take the mission of dialogue with election-oriented individuals seriously in the virtual space and expand the severing of supporters of the government.' He concluded by stating, 'Certainly, based on historical experience, in the second round of the presidential election, the level of participation will be less than in the first round, and the outcome of the ballot box will be no one other than the favorite of the Supreme Leader.' A group of women prisoners in Evin Prison also previously announced in an open letter that they did not participate and will not participate in the government elections to determine Ebrahim Raisi's successor. In a letter published by these women prisoners, who identified themselves as 'leftist women imprisoned in Evin Prison,' on Golrokh Iraei's Instagram account, it stated: 'Such elections are a desperate attempt to save a desperate government that has lost its legitimacy.' According to the 'claimed statistics' of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Interior, while the statistics and figures from the Islamic Republic's government sources have always been seriously questioned and disputed by independent observers and sources, more than 60% of the people of Iran boycotted the government election on July 8 to determine the presidency, and Massoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili advanced to the second round of this process with minimal public participation. The two are set to compete again on Friday, July 6, for the vacant seat of Raisi. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated on Tuesday, July 2, to the Persian section of VOA that whatever the final result may be, 'unfortunately,' the Biden administration does not expect any fundamental change in the direction Iran is heading or that 'the Iranian regime will respect the rights of its citizens more.' The spokesperson emphasized that 'elections in Iran are not free and fair.'