Mohammad Mohajeri: The Era When People Voted for Religious or National Duty is Over

The era when people voted out of religious or national duty has ended.

It seems that the time when people participated in elections out of religious obligation or even national duty has come to an end. On the other hand, the gray area of society has become highly calculating and sees participation in elections as conditional on what it gains from it.

Moreover, the eleventh parliament is one of the weakest, if not the weakest, sessions of the country’s parliament and has not had any noteworthy performance in any area.

The events of autumn 2022 shook some officials, and there was talk of reforming governance methods, but it did not last long. The discussions faded into oblivion, and the previous atmosphere returned. Even if some governance methods, such as the vetting of parliamentary candidates, undergo changes, the calculating mindset of society, which views participation in elections through a cost-benefit formula, shows little interest in the ballot box.