Zadehamin

Iran’s Free and Fair Elections

Hossein Mar’ashi, the head of a reformist coalition electoral headquarters told Fars news Agency: “We are sure that the election was free and fair. We also reject US and British news agencies’ claim that the reformists have plan to withdraw. It’s a mere lie.”

Former Iranian president, Ayatullah Seyyed Mohammad Khatami said prior to the general election: “A massive turnout will lead to forming a parliament which will take wise measures that in turn would contribute to the nation’s progress.”

The Western media had predicted, or rather hoped, that the Iranian election would be marred by lower voter turnout; that was not to be: voter turnout exceeded all expectations. The average voter turnout in the world is 45-60 percent, and during the 2004 elections for the 7th Majlis voter turnout was 51 percent, whereas yesterday over 28 million of 43.8 million eligible voters participated in the 8th Majlis; a voter turnout of over 60 percent, and 9 percent increase from the last Majlis, even exceeding Iran’s average voter turnout of 62.5 percent.

Moreover, much to the consternation of the United States, the result is seen in Iran as demonstrative of the President Ahmadinejad’s popularity. The Secretary of the United Principalist Front Shahabeddin Sadr, told IRNA: “The names announced by the Interior Ministry show that 70 percent of the newly elected legislators are on our list of candidates,” as latest announcement showed by that after 141 constituencies out of 290 had been decided, the Principalist Front, won 108, whereas the Reformist camp only secured 33. 

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, when asked to explain the discrepancy between U.S. claims that the Iranian election was unfair and the high voter turnout, admitted he was bereft, “I don’t know anything about turnout.”

Iran’s former president Ayatullah Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, remarked prior to the election:

“The US officials have clearly shown their enmity with the Middle East people… Undoubtedly they will support those who would pave the ground for the US presence in the region and certainly these are not the reformists.”