The politics of elections in Iran
Vahid Sepehri's analysis of news from Iran about next year's parliamentary elections focuses on the roadblocks to moderate and reformist candidates. It was published on the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty web site.This is a good outline of the electoral process in Iran and would probably be a good supplement to your textbook's descriptions. Right now it is good teacher background. Save it and review it next year to see if it's still valuable for your students.
Iran: Politicians Concerned About New Election Date
"Many Iranian politicians are unhappy with the date recently set for Iran's next parliamentary elections, saying they are being planned at a time that would lower voter turnout and make it difficult to complain about the process or challenge the vote-counting procedures.
"The parliamentary elections -- to choose the eighth parliament since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 -- are set for March 14. That is just a few days before the Iranian New Year holidays that begin on March 19-20 and continue for several weeks.
"It is a time when the majority of Iranians stop working, with many traveling to visit friends and relatives... Moreover, a good part of Iran's state bureaucracy and media winds down for the holidays at that time.
"The complaints reveal a latent suspicion -- particularly among reformists wishing to regain their parliamentary seats -- that state authorities want to hold the elections while the public is distracted, giving election officers and supervisors a freer hand to respond to "undesirable" aspirants or even results...
"The concerns expressed by reformists over the date of the elections indicates their persistent fear of a variety of suspected efforts and mechanisms used to keep them out of power: their candidates may be disqualified; and now, there may well be nobody watching vote counters and supervisors regarded by many as beholden to the right wing...
"But while vote counting may be a concern to reformists, it is perceived as the conservatives' second line of defense against "undesirable" candidates -- the first one being the rigorous vetting and subsequent rejection of prospective candidates..."
From No-Rooz, The Iranian New Year at Present Times, published by the Iran Chamber Society.
"No-Rooz, in word, means 'New Day'. It is the new day that starts the year, traditionally the exact astronomical beginning of the Spring. Iranians take that as the beginning of the year... No-Rooz with its uniquely Iranian characteristics has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years and is deeply rooted in the rituals and traditions of the Zoroastrian (This was the religion of ancient Persia before the advent of Islam in 7th century A.D.).
"Iranians consider No-Rooz as their biggest celebration of the year. Before the new year, they start cleaning their houses... and they buy new clothes. But a major part of New Year rituals is setting the Haft Seen with seven specific items. In ancient times each of the items corresponded to one of the seven creations and the seven holy immortals protecting them. Today they are changed and modified but some have kept their symbolism. All the seven items start with the letter 'S'... Seeb (apple), Sabze (green grass), Serke (vinager), Samanoo (a meal made out of wheat), Senjed (a special kind of berry), Sekke (coin), and Seer (garlic)..."
Labels: elections, Iran, politics
posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:45 AM
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