Iran’s disheartened and oppressed electorate has actively chosen not to cast their votes. The severance from the ballots has stemmed from their unwavering quintessence that their voting power acquires no real change in the selection of candidates, which is strictly subjugated to the mullah loyalists. During the 2021 presidential elections, less than 50% of the electorate turned out for hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, whose premature death in a helicopter disaster initiated the recent polls for his successor. In the same year’s parliamentary election, a mere 41% decided to cast their vote.
Despite stern warnings from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei about the paramount importance of a high voting turnout, 60% of the nation did not vote in the recent Friday election. He emphasised that the nation’s constancy, firmness, reputation, and prestige were intrinsically aligned with its citizen’s participation in voting.
Friday will witness another election, a run-off that observe Ayatollah’s associate Saeed Jalili, a staunch conservative and ex-nuclear negotiator who is at the forefront of the ultra-right Paydari party, in opposition to a sole reformist that astonishingly passed the mullahs’ candidate filtering process. The reformist, Masoud Pezeshkian, is a heart surgeon, former MP, and health minister who served during the Iran-Iraq conflict. He belongs to the Azeri ethnic minority and is considered a liberal in the Iranian context.
Even though the turnout was scanty, Pezeshkian clinched a significant portion of 42% (10.4 million votes) of the votes. His political viewpoints include the reopening of discussions with the US concerning Iran’s sanctioned nuclear programme and promoting the mitigation of mandatory hijab-wearing. While Jalili bagged 39% votes, a third, hardliner candidate won 14%. It’s uncertain whether the third candidate’s votes will be redirected to Jalili in the ensuing round, considering their political symmetry. Pezeshkian anticipates that motivating the youth to realise the significance of their votes can champion his victory.
Although a reformist triumph will not instantly transform Iran, it is a stepping stone towards positive changes. Regardless of the results, this election conveys an underlying message about Iran’s burgeoning democratic fibre. The moment for its manifestation may be closing in.