Eliminating Candidates for Political Views
Fars News Agency reported today that more than 50 members of the current Majlis, the Iranian parliament, have been disqualified to run for re-election in the upcoming March 2 parliamentary elections. It is not clear why the country needs to go through formal elections if the candidates, including the current members of parliament, can be vetted out for their political viewpoints.
The extent of elimination of candidates with different viewpoints is not yet clear. Fars reported today that 442 members and sympathizers of the “Deviationist” group, the supporters of President Ahmadinejad and his chief of staff Esfandia Rahim Mashaie, have registered for the elections. How many of them will be allowed to run was unclear.
It's hard to say whether Ahmadinejad's administration has done better than Khatami's.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, Iran's relations with the world were much better under Khatami. Back then you didn't have any of the sanctions you have now, and many Iranians in the west even had Bank Melli accounts!
On the other hand, Iran's economy was garbage under Khatami. That may have been due to the fact that it takes time to recover from the Iraq war, or it may have been due to mismanagement. Who knows.
This is awful news. Even the previously approved people are being purged as the ruling clique grows more insecure and intolerant of any dissent.
ReplyDeleteSoon the streets will again be bloodied.
The regime deserves every bit of it to collapse.And when the streets are full of angry people there will be no green movement to police the masses only pure anger and revenge.
ReplyDeleteBe warned.
The regime slide towards a one-man rule is being completed. The next Majlis or Parliament is nothing but a rubber stamp and tool of dictatorship. No one with any integrity no matter which political views right , middle or left will be allowed to run if he/she is not a yes man. Even then no one trusts the "election" results in Iran... what a scam...
ReplyDeleteA scam that has been going on since the inception of the Islam republic.
ReplyDeleteIranian style democracy in action:. Who needs to campaign to win elections when you can disqualify your opponents before the election.
ReplyDeleteThe disqualified MPs should be comforted by the fact that they have no real power either way.
prevent fraudulent vote counts!!!!
ReplyDeletehave the elections completely rigged before the voting !!!!!
Iran replicates Saddam Hussein's Iraq, where in every election Saddam gets 99.6% of the vote.....
too bad we killed the sonofadog, but he's a fine inspiration to the Ayatollah
What elections?
ReplyDeleteIslamic regime never had or will have real elections.
In mafia land there is only one man with power and his name is Khamenei.
Down with Akhoond Khamenei !