Reformists Thinking of Conquering Pasteur
The crash of Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter and some of his companions on their way back from the inauguration ceremony of a joint dam with Azerbaijan was one of the unpredictable events that not only affected the society but also engaged Iranian politics. This incident has forced a situation where, for the third time in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we will witness an early presidential election. This force majeure situation has intensely involved political parties and groups, prompting them to consult and plan how to participate in the upcoming election on July 8th of this year and to bring their preferred candidate to the presidency of the fourteenth government.
Among the reformists, as political activists, the presidential election discussion has naturally started, and parties and groups are holding meetings on this topic. Besides the reformist parties and groups, the Reform Front, as the consensus-building assembly of reformist parties and groups, is also present. This consensus-building assembly, which announced its existence in 2020 following the dissolution of the Reform Front Coordinating Council, is now on the verge of its third electoral activity and is holding meetings to determine what policy it will adopt regarding the upcoming election.
The Reform Front and the Third Experience
After its formation, the Reform Front went through its first electoral experience regarding the thirteenth presidential election in 2021. They began their activities in this field from the beginning of May that year.
Meetings were held, and they announced that they would participate in the election and that their preferred candidate would register for candidacy. However, after the Guardian Council disqualified the reformist candidates, the Reform Front officially announced in a statement that they would not have a candidate in the 2021 presidential election. Part of the statement read that the Guardian Council, in a premeditated move, eliminated representatives of all different political currents in the country except for a specific one. Out of the candidates introduced by the members of the General Assembly of the Iranian Reform Front, nine people had registered, and the Front wanted to choose its final candidate from among them.
But with all of them disqualified, the Front now has no candidate to present to the people in the 2021 election. We believe this action is not just about eliminating reformists but sends the main message of excluding the people from the decision-making process in the country’s affairs.
The reformists, by introducing a wide range of individuals and tendencies, tried to prevent any tension in the election process, but it became clear that a group is determined to ensure that you, the people, and those with different political tastes do not participate in the election, and that the election is held with minimal participation and a specific preference. We present this report to the great Iranian nation so that, as the true owners of the country, they are aware of our efforts and the sabotage of others.
Meanwhile, some reformist parties and groups maintained their activities and supported Abdolnaser Hemmati. Additionally, Behzad Nabavi, who was the head of the Reform Front at that time, released a video urging people to participate in the election.
The Reform Front’s second electoral experience took place last year during the elections for the twelfth term of the Parliament, an experience that had a significant difference from the 2021 presidential election but ended with a similar result.
In a statement released before the parliamentary elections, the Reform Front announced that it would not provide an electoral list in Tehran, but decision-making in the provinces would be left to the provincial fronts. This approach was repeated in the provinces, where they followed the same path used by the Reform Front in the center.
Part of the statement released by the Reform Front at that time stated that after months of reviewing and monitoring the country’s political developments, the performance of the government, election officials, and receiving opinions from experts and parties across the country, especially considering the people’s approach, the Reform Front determined its electoral strategy for the upcoming elections based on the fact that it cannot participate in an election devoid of meaning, non-competitive, unfair, and ineffective in governing the country.
The Reform Front of Iran also warned that the responsibility for the consequences and risks resulting from reduced public participation in elections for national power and security lies with the institutions and officials who have rendered the ballot box ineffective. It declared that the only solution to the country’s problems is to create a strong and independent parliament and government through holding free, fair, competitive, and effective elections in managing the country’s affairs with the presence of representatives of all intellectual spectrums and tendencies.
Therefore, we have placed the government’s willingness to hold free, competitive, and meaningful elections at the top of our demands and, alongside efforts to empower Iranian society, we will also strive to hold such elections in the future.
Based on this, the Reform Front did not provide an electoral list in the March elections of last year and, like in 2021, did not take any action in support of electoral candidates and merely watched the scene.
However, two member parties of the Reform Front, Kargozaran and Neda-ye Iranian, introduced and supported some candidates in certain provinces, and were successful in some electoral districts. Now, with the early presidential election of the fourteenth government, the Reform Front is on the verge of its third electoral decision.
They have held two meetings in recent days and will have more meetings in the coming days. It remains to be seen what the outcome of the Reform Front’s meetings will be this time. Will an opportunity be provided for the Reform Front to officially support an electoral candidate for the first time, or will they once again be placed on a path by the Guardian Council’s repetitive approach where they will not provide support?