Election boycott a moral victory for the Iranian people

The regime's sham "election" shows the world what we've always known - it's unreformable and must be ended

There was an “election” in Iran on Friday in which Ebrahim Raisi was “elected” the new President of the so-called Islamic Republic. As a judge, Raisi presided over some of the worst atrocities of the regime since its establishment in 1979. This means that the regime will be represented by someone who embodies all of its evils. One with few equals in terms of having his hands stained with the blood of thousands who have been murdered by the regime. And as opposed to being chosen by the electorate in a free and fair contest, Raisi was imposed on Iran as the favourite of the Supreme Leader.

In reality, there was no difference between this and any other “election” in the history of the so-called Islamic Republic. The regime is neither Islamic nor Iranian, and its constitutional institutions such as its Parliament, Cabinet and President are ersatz - they may appear to perform the functions associated with such but have none of the substance in a power structure no different from Communist or fascist states.

Iranian American @IranLionness

Voting booth in Iran General population had boycotted the regime and its sham election. #No2IR

Reza Pahlavi @PahlaviReza

The Iranian people have spoken with one voice to say NO to the Islamic Republic. In their brave and historic boycott of the sham #IranElection2021, they have brought the movement to liberate #Iran to the ultimate phase. The world should not engage this crumbling regime. #No2ir

Radman Pour Mahak @RadmanPour

You're nothing but a worthless pre paid criminal #Mullahs mouthpiece. You've got involved to normalize #Mullahs crimes against Iranian protesters and sell their fraudulent presidential election as an act of democracy! We patriot Monarchists are standing against #Mullahs and #IRGC

Robert Carter @Bob_cart124

Rag-tag dissidents harrassing and bullying Iranians trying to vote in London. UK police looking on... MEK, Shah royalists, and lovers of western dictatorship - all anti-Iran, Islam and democracy - represent western imperialist interests. #Iran #London #IranElection2021 https://t.co/YDKsMGPWda

Len Khodorkovsky @MessageFromLen

Someone has to explain this to me. How do Iranians who live in America, who don’t work for or sympathize with the world’s top terrorist regime, take time out of their day to vote in a rigged Iranian election for an oppressor of Iranians?

So what is different this time? There was an overwhelmingly successful call to boycott the “election” called for by the various opposition movements. The real turnout for the election is only a fraction of the officially recorded turnout, with images of virtually empty polling stations being shown on social media. Never before have Iranians been united in their rejection of this regime.

Inevitably, regime propagandists will put a spin on this North Korea style, aided and abetted by their apologists outside the country. This includes the “progressive” networks in operation on both sides of the Atlantic, and lobby groups such as NIAC, and others who have profited handsomely from collaborating with this regime. Some of these have even spent time trying to convince the world that the regime is somehow reformable from within - it never was, and this illusion can now firmly be put to rest.

Another myth has also been put to rest, though this clearly has been the case for a while. Not only does the boycott confirm the regime’s illegitimacy, it also confirms that the opposition movement has a powerful reach inside Iran, where the message is able to get out. The “No2Ir” campaign has seen Iranians from all walks of life demonstrate their public rejection of a regime which has terrorised, tortured and killed people inside and outside the country.

The Iranian people can claim a moral victory in demonstrating their rejection of the Islamic Republic. The people of Iran deserve the support of freedom-loving people around the world in the same way that Eastern Europeans received support in the struggle against Communism. In abstaining from the ballot box in the regime’s sham “election”, they have made this loud and clear. It is time governments in the West and the Middle East recognise this as well.