Ali Larijani: People’s despair from the ballot box is a prelude to dictatorship.
Ali Larijani said people do not vote solely for an ideology; they vote for individuals with determination who possess an ideology and the ability to implement it. Otherwise, they do not vote for a scholar; they vote for a politician. The difference between a politician and a scholar is that a scholar describes conditions, whereas a politician seeks to change conditions.
Regarding some who say they cast a protest vote by submitting a blank ballot, he said, ‘I do not consider it an effective strategy. Such actions might lead the country towards dictatorship. Countries move towards dictatorship when, through the people’s disengagement, a minority takes control of all affairs, or sometimes government structures cause people to choose the wrong method and be unable to participate.’
A protest vote might bring the government to its senses, but it’s a costly method.
Perhaps in the future, the Assembly of Experts needs to become multifaceted, meaning that for the expertise of leadership, their mastery in executive and managerial issues and familiarity with international matters should require other experts and move beyond the oversight of clerics.