Despite the criticism that is levied against the former President seyed Mohammad Khatami, he has once again emerged as the person who can be viewed as a hopeful possibility for the future through the important elections positions that he has taken. He has called on the public to vote for the reformers in the upcoming Majlis elections on March 14th in order to disrupt the “plans of the hardliners and monopolists”. He recently publicly said, “We have to disrupt this game in any possible way. And so we will wholeheartedly participate in the elections humbly but with joy. Many have drawn up big plans which will be neutralized through the vote of the people.”
It should not be overlooked that a group of candidates whose names appear on the list of the reformist candidates are individuals who have registered as nominees not through their own choice but on the insistence of those pursuing the policy of “wide registrations – multi-layered lists”. These are some 100 reformist candidates who passed the tense filtering process of the Ministry of the Interior and the Guardians Council, and have thus managed to participate in the elections in the towns and Tehran against the hardliners. They have the right to expect pro-reformers to support them at a time when they lack resources to gather public support.
Under the current difficult conditions, perhaps boycotting the elections and non-participation is the easiest approach to the March 14 Majlis elections. But who really knows what the best course of action to take is.
Let me raise a few questions in this regard: Are Iranians the only people who face such difficulties regarding upcoming elections? Have the nationals of other countries not been subjected to similar crossroads in their own elections? For example, during the last presidential elections in France did the French people not get united against the imminent approach of the new-fascism?
Do we not have a similar situation in Iran today? Can we not see other Ahmadinejad’s in the list of the hardliners for the eight Majlis? Would the entrance of these individuals, with their backgrounds and performance, into the Majlis not result in even greater suppression, deeper crises and the heightening of the war drums?
It would be great if real representatives of the people found their way into the Majlis. But now that this is not going to be the case, should it be allowed that each and every seat in the parliament falls into the hands of the public enemies and interests of the country? Even if a single parliamentary seat is denied to the hardliners, will this not have an impact on the future domestic and international events, even if caused by a revealing speech, and thus change the fate of the country a little bit?
In view of all the criticism that exists on the process of the current elections for the eight Majlis where many districts are “unfair, unjust, uncompetitive, and not free” we have no other alternative than to exercise our national and legal duty in the few parliamentary districts where the possibility of defeating monopoly of the hardliners and thus sending real representatives to the Majlis.
The victory of Khatami’s supporters and loyalists in this elections, aimed at creating even a tiny minority for the purpose of “liberating the country” from “crises makers” and “war mongers” can pave the way for seyed Mohammad Khatami to return to the presidential race in the future.
In the conflict between mind and heart, let’s hope that minds will prevail on March 14th for the majority of Iranians, particularly the youth and those who have become disillusioned with change.
Onlymehdi 