Low Turnout Seen In Iranian Election

Pro-Ahmadinejad Hardliners Expected To Dominate Vote As Many Reformists Are Disqualified

(CBS/AP)  Voters at a Teheran mosque Friday morning were the stars of Iran's democratic show for the world's media.

But as soon as CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer asked one man why authorities had banned all the reform candidates, a plainclothes policeman appeared, and tried to censor his answer.

He needn't have bothered: "We love our leader," the man said.

He is one of the regime's diehard loyalists, who wouldn't dream of criticizing - or casting a vote for anyone else.

Critics see the overall low turnout as a sign of frustration with a vote that hardliners allied with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are expected to dominate.

Lineups did develop at a few spots in the capital, but they were at major mosques where most voters were expected to back pro-Ahmadinejad candidates.

But at dozens of polling stations in schools, universities and other mosques around the city, voters dribbled in slowly.

Most supported reformists, bringing in newspaper lists of reformist candidates for Tehran's 30 seats.

Iran's reformist movement, which seeks democratic changes at home and better ties with the West, has largely been sidelined in the race after most of its candidates were barred from running by Iran's clerical leadership.

With reformists crippled, the race is instead a test of Ahmadinejad's support among conservatives, some of whom have been disillusioned with the president since he came to office in 2005. Ahmadinejad could face a challenge from moderate conservatives in presidential elections next year.

Palmer reports the election is really a contest "between the hard-liners, and the not-quite-so-hard-liners," leaving thousands of young Iranians who do crave real change disillusioned and disinterested in the vote.

The Guardian Council - an unelected body of clerics and jurists - disqualified around 1,700 candidates, mostly reformists, on the grounds they were insufficiently loyal to Islam or Iran's 1979 revolution. The reformist candidates who remain are mostly little-known to the public.

Critics say Ahmadinejad has fumbled efforts to fix the economy of this oil-rich nation - hit by high inflation and unemployment and fuel shortages. They blame his fiery manner for worsening the standoff with the West, bringing on U.N. sanctions over Iran's nuclear program.

The key question will be the performance of Ahmadinejad's conservative critics, a year ahead of presidential elections when he could face a challenge by moderate conservative candidates, many of whom call themselves "modernizers", reports Palmer.

A strong showing Friday by the Inclusive Coalition of Principlists - a slate of candidates that includes conservative critics of the president - would be a sign of Ahmadinejad's waning support.

The list allegedly has the support of Tehran's popular mayor, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a conservative who is often cited as a possible rival to Ahmadinejad in the 2009 election.

Another key candidate in Friday's race is Ali Larijani, who stepped down as Iran's top nuclear negotiator because of differences with Ahmadinejad. Larijani, who is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's personal representative on the Supreme National Security Council, is running for parliament from the city of Qom and has sometimes also been cited as a possible presidential candidate in 2009.

Palmer says Larijani, seen at left, has indicated a desire to try and mend the virtually non-existent diplomatic relationship with the West, including the United States government, should he come to power.

At a number of polling stations at mosques in southern Tehran, there were lines of 50 to 60 people soon after voting began Friday morning, with a steady flow of people coming in throughout the following hours.

Many filled their ballots by picking names from print-outs of the United Front of Principlists, a slate dominated by Ahmadinejad allies.

Mustafa Rajabi, a 33-year-old government worker, said he voted for backers of the president. "This is my duty to keep the country stable," he said, standing with his wife, who wore a black chador robe draped over her head and body, and their two children, too young to vote.

Polling stations are set up in mosques, schools and universities. Mosques are seen as more likely to draw conservative voters, schools and universities more moderate voters - though such distinctions are not clear cut since many people vote at whatever station is closer. Voters can cast ballots at whatever station they choose in their city.

In contrast, polls in several schools of northern Tehran and at Khajeh Nasir University were all but empty early Friday, with 5 or 6 people in each.

"Many students and activists have been under pressure because of their political activities," said Reza Kolahroudi, a 22-year-student who showed up to vote for reformists. "I hope reformists can change the current situation."

Some 4,500 candidates nationwide are running for parliament's 290 seats in Friday's vote. But reformists say they don't have candidates in around 200 of the races.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has backed conservatives, saying earlier this week that Iranians should elect anti-U.S. candidates "whose loyalties are to Islam and justice."

The disqualifications have divided reform supporters, some of whom have decided to boycott the vote. But reform leaders are pressing them to go to the polls, hoping to at least build a strong minority bloc, rather than the handful of seats they now have.

Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a powerful member of the clerical leadership seen as a top rival of Ahmadinejad, tried to convince the boycotters to vote.

"To be reluctant and say why we should participate in the election is a kind of self-destruction," said Rafsanjani, a conservative who has grown closer to reformists. "This will lead to the absence of their favorite candidates in the council," he said, according to the state news agency IRNA.

Turnout among the estimated 44 million eligible voters is a key issue. In 2004 elections, which were swept by hard-liners after most reform candidates were barred from the race, turnout was around 51 percent. In previous votes won by reformists, it was closer to 80 percent. Reformists say they have the support of a silent majority that, if it votes, swings elections to them.

Outside mosques, young boys were urging any reluctant passers-by to come in and vote for conservatives.

Many people were more concerned with shopping, packing malls and shops on main street to prepare for the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, which takes place next week. Sherine Faraji said she might vote in the afternoon after shopping.

"If I get to the polls, I'll vote for reformists. They don't bother women," said Faraji, who wore a tight-fitting jacket and a colorful headscarf that showed much of her hair. Conservatives seek to enforce a stricter female dress code covering the entire hair and hiding the body from head to toe.

Reformists held parliament from 2000 to 2004. During that time, they loosened Islamic social restrictions. But hard-liners, who control the unelected clerical bodies whose powers trump the parliament and president, prevented deep political change.

If reformers fail to win a significant parliament minority in Friday's vote, it will illustrate the endurance of conservatives' lock on power, with the clerical leadership able to thwart any reformist comeback.

[libsrweak]

Why, because I can''''t even hold a sign against any major matter unless I am ready to go to jail.


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Posted by DHAMODOT at 12:27 PM : Mar 16, 2008
+ report abuse


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maybe you are just an idiot who cannot create and hold a sign OR YOU ARE JUST A SIMPLE LAZY INSTIGATOR..

you can protest as long as your protest in non-violent and does nto disrupt..meaning NO it is not democratic to bomb the white hous e as a form of protesting..YOU ARE A SUCH A MORON..

[dhamodot]

And in USA, do we vote for Supreme Court Judges? Many ministers, White House Speaker, etc are appointed by a jerk who end up being the president. I can be wrong to a degree, but I know that not everything is controled by the people. This country is NOT a good example of Democracy and Freedom. Why, because I can''t even hold a sign against any major matter unless I am ready to go to jail.

[zootallures2]

But hard-liners, who control the unelected clerical bodies...

And in the US you elect the Judicial branch? Since when? You vote for the supreme court judges?

[zootallures2]

US and A is the one with low voter turn outs and rigged elections.

Where is the propaganda story of the "pulverized" building hit by a crane? Don''t mention it was all brick and there was no pyroclastic clouds. Don''t mention the crane was steel and the building was not. Or that aluminum is even softer than bricks. Or that a brick building is shatterd by a tornado while steel and concrete buildings and over passes is uneffected.

[zootallures2]

Oh, like the western media would report high voter turn out and fair elections that showed strong approval of Ahmadinejad. Yea, Iran wants to reform and be like the US, who supported Saddam, gave him chemical weapons, over-threw their elected leader to put in the Shah, and shot down one of their civilian passenger planes.

[tbweb]

I mean look if Obama, Clinton did not prosternate before AIPAC and pledge for Israel security, they would not be dreaming...

Posted by grazinggoat at 04:13 PM : Mar 14, 2008,,,

The strong link between the U.S. and Israel has less to do with AIPAC and the Israeli Lobby and more to do with Christianity, Religion, the Holy Bible, Jesus and Israels Biblical History, the Israeli link and glue to the U.S. is all about Religion but no one dare "officially" claim that!

[ajmarine1]

AJMarine .. what does have to do with elections in Iran?

Or do you simply spam that anywhere you see something vaguely political?

Posted by cyberus at 08:33 PM : Mar 14, 2008


No one was here when I did that post.

I just threw it in as food for thought.



"McCain has to acknowledge that our current level of involvement is unsustainable, while Obama has to acknowledge that the situation is improving. Both must show a willingness to plan according to the realities, or this still could be the issue that decides the election."



My point being, whoever gets into the White House will have some adjustments to make in there stated policies on Iraq and Iran.

[cyberus-2009]

AJMarine .. what does have to do with elections in Iran?

Or do you simply spam that anywhere you see something vaguely political?

[jwind11]

fredgrad2000,,,, Go back to school

Posted by j-whitman at 04:24 PM : Mar 14, 2008

at least he can spell moron

[ajmarine1]

I think the candidate who is seen as the most willing to be flexible about our future solutions in Iraq is the one who will ultimately win this issue. If the public starts to see McCain in the same way they see Bush (as a stubborn man unwilling to move away from losing strategies) then he is dead in the water. Likewise, if they see Obama as someone who stubbornly sticks with his story that the war is lost in spite of all of the growing evidence that things are improving, then it could reinforce the underlying problem of some seeing him as naive due to inexperience. McCain has to acknowledge that our current level of involvement is unsustainable, while Obama has to acknowledge that the situation is improving. Both must show a willingness to plan according to the realities, or this still could be the issue that decides the election.


http://www.coldheartedtruth.com/

Part 2