Question: Is the election of Hassan Rouhani a demonstration of what Iranian citizens wanted, or is it more manipulation by the Guardian Council
Author: The Guardian UK's Tehran Bureau Correspondents
Title: Iran Elections: 'wherever Rouhani speaks there's a frenzy'
Date Published: June 13, 2013
Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/13/iran-elections-rouhani-frenzy
Title: Iran Elections: 'wherever Rouhani speaks there's a frenzy'
Date Published: June 13, 2013
Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/13/iran-elections-rouhani-frenzy
In the middle of last June, the Islamic Republic of Iran was busy in preparation for their next round of Presidential elections to replace outgoing President Ahmadinejad. It looked as if there was going to be low participation because of lack of public support for the "Islamic ruling establishment." People were upset because the Guardian Council (the most powerful men in Iran) approved eight candidates for election, neglecting two public favorites.
The citizens were upset with the selection of Rouhani and the promise of his campaign, it was boring and the lack of any attractive reform. However overnight, support and excitement virtually exploded. The cause? The two neglected candidates throwing their support behind the campaign of Rouhani.
The true question lies in voter skepticism. The article cites one young voter's mood on the Iranian political situation:
"Less than a day earlier, Shiva, a 26-year-old resident of north Tehran who plans to leave Iran soon to continue her studies in the United States, described the dispirited mood in the capital. "How can you have faith in the process after 2009? I mean, it makes sense to go vote out of a fear that Jalili might be elected, but then … will my vote actually be counted?
"We're like ants trapped in their spiderweb. As you might say abroad, we're in the middle of quite a dilemma. So there's no hope per se, but you never know, maybe they might actually count the votes. My idea is that they'd rather us think the votes didn't matter, so I want to play whatever small part I can to ensure that they lose this gamble of theirs. Of course, it's not like I'm excited or anything. It's actually a bit of a drag.""
Many disenfranchised young voters believe that the support for Rouhani is nothing more than some astroturf form of support, manufactured by the Government or the guardian council. With so many complaints after the election of 2009, and the failed pushes of the green revolution. It really begs us to ask if the election of Rouhani was truly legitimate, or is the GC just trying to push forth another show election to appease the West and its call for more transparent elections
The citizens were upset with the selection of Rouhani and the promise of his campaign, it was boring and the lack of any attractive reform. However overnight, support and excitement virtually exploded. The cause? The two neglected candidates throwing their support behind the campaign of Rouhani.
The true question lies in voter skepticism. The article cites one young voter's mood on the Iranian political situation:
"Less than a day earlier, Shiva, a 26-year-old resident of north Tehran who plans to leave Iran soon to continue her studies in the United States, described the dispirited mood in the capital. "How can you have faith in the process after 2009? I mean, it makes sense to go vote out of a fear that Jalili might be elected, but then … will my vote actually be counted?
"We're like ants trapped in their spiderweb. As you might say abroad, we're in the middle of quite a dilemma. So there's no hope per se, but you never know, maybe they might actually count the votes. My idea is that they'd rather us think the votes didn't matter, so I want to play whatever small part I can to ensure that they lose this gamble of theirs. Of course, it's not like I'm excited or anything. It's actually a bit of a drag.""
Many disenfranchised young voters believe that the support for Rouhani is nothing more than some astroturf form of support, manufactured by the Government or the guardian council. With so many complaints after the election of 2009, and the failed pushes of the green revolution. It really begs us to ask if the election of Rouhani was truly legitimate, or is the GC just trying to push forth another show election to appease the West and its call for more transparent elections