Hojjat-ol eslam Mohammad Khatemi, a purportedly "moderate" cleric, was elected by a landslide on May 23 and will take over the presidency of the IRI in August, when Rafsanjani's second term is to expire. Khatemi's 3-to-1 margin was a stunning defeat for Nateq-Nouri, who had been groomed for the job as the Speaker of the Majlis and enjoyed the active support of the much of the clerical establishment. Khatemi won despite consistent harassment and disruption of his campaign by Ansar-e Hezbollah, the latest of which were the closing down of his campaign headquarters in Tehran and the cancellation of a rally in a sport stadium two days before the vote. Khatemi's headquarters were said to be in violation of election laws banning the use of state funds and facilities for political campaigns, since the building was owned by Tehran's municipality, which is headed by the capital's pro-Khatemi mayor. [Kayhan, 5/21] Both Nateq-Nouri and Khamene'i congratulated the winner and vowed cooperation once he takes office.
IRNA speculated that Nateq-Nouri himself had seen the writing on the wall when he told CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour that "the contest is very close and the outcome cannot be predicted." [IRNA, 5/23]
On election day Khamene'i made the limits on Khatemi's freedom of action clear. "The nation expects all measures taken for their prosperity and well-being to be within the framework of Islamic laws and regulations." He also said that while none of the candidates will be able to fill Rafsanjani's shoes, he hoped that "the future president will be a personality similar to him. [IRNA, 5/23]
Human Rights Watch/Middle East issued a report on the eve of the presidential election calling them "neither free nor fair." According to the report, "the election is taking place in a repressive atmosphere." The report alluded to the closure of newspapers and magazines by the government and the intimidation of non-clerical groups and parties by vigilantes organized by Ansar-e Hezbollah. The report also criticized the IRI for excluding women and minorities from serving as president.
The report concludes that "while there is a real contest over who will succeed President Rafsanjani, the choice is between different factions within the closed circle of the clerical leadership." [Human Rights Watch, New York, 5/21]
Democratic opposition groups in exile hailed the elections as a clear rejection by the Iranian people of the repressive policies of the current regime.
For the Constitutionalists Movement of Iran (CMI), the elections opened a "new chapter" in Iranian history. "Regardless of whether Khatemi fulfills his promises to the Iranian people, the resounding rejection of the regime's policies by Iranians has irrevocably changed the situation in Iran. Khatemi must either confront the regime's repressive leaders and organs, in order to carry out his promises, or ignore the promises and continue the bankrupt policies of the regime. Either way, Iranians have opened a new chapter in the campaign to achieve democracy and rule of law." [CMI statement 5/24]
The Democracy Network of Iran, a U.S.-based group of Iranians, has launched a petition calling for the abolition of the Guardian Council's screening role in the elections, which it calls "undemocratic, and against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." It also objected to the automatic rejection of candidates who are secular, women, non-Muslims, or Sunni Muslims.
DNI noted that all secular opposition parties in exile, and the few that are still tolerated (but illegal) inside Iran had chosen to boycott the elections because of their fundamentally undemocratic nature. [DNI statement 5/23]
Mehrdad Irani, a CMI member whose statement we found on the website of the National Movement of the Iranian Resistance, NAMIR, waxed satiric. "Obviously we have not tasted enough of the moderate medicines prescribed by yet another so-called reformer [Rafsanjani], for we are now categorizing the election of Khatemi, who has successfully passed through the filter of the Guardian Council... as "a blow to the Islamic Republic" !!" Instead, the statement argued, the elections were a "show which the clerics have devised to prolong their rule." [Mehrdad Irani statement 5/25]
The Flag of Freedom Organization, run by former Higher Education minister Dr. Manoucher Ganji, called the elections "a negative vote to the system of Velayat-e faghih."
"The people of Iran, particularly the younger generation and women, have taken a very bold step in rebuking the Islamic Republic system of which Mr. Khatemi has also been a part," FFO said. The group also warned of false hopes, and noted that Khatemi "is straight-jacketed within the framework of the Velayat-e faghih system" and that real democracy under the current system "is in fact an oxymoron." [FFO statement 5/26]
The Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) concurred that the elections were essentially "a vote against the repressive policies of the establishment" and were "a set back especially for the Supreme Leader Khamene'i and the ruling clergy." The elections gave "a measure of the desire of the Iranian people for democracy and freedom and their disenchantment with the Islamic regime. However, it is quite premature to consider this single event as a turning point in the policies of the regime," the party warned, because of the limitations of the IRI constitution.
The KDPI was the only group that called openly on the democratic opposition to increase pressure on the regime. "It is absolutely essential to force the regime to abandon its repressive policies toward women, youth, ethnic and religious groups, to respect political freedom and put an end to the monopoly of the media and censorship." [KDPI statement 5/25]
At his initial post-victory press conference, on May 27, Khatemi promised greater individual freedom for Iranians, while towing the line of his fellow clerics on foreign relations and security issues.
During the election campaign, he repeatedly emphasized his loyalty to the Islamic Revolution and the notion of clerical rule, and one of his first gestures after the vote was to pay fealty at the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini.
In his May 27 press conference - his first with foreign reporters, carried live by CNN - Khatemi reiterated the regime's rejection of ties with the United States and with Israel, and reasserted Iran's claim on three disputed islands in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, just as Rafsanjani has done before him, he rejected accusations that Iran was involved in terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, or that it would in any way interfere with the Middle East peace process - denials which convince few outside of the regime's direct supporters.
On the "so-called" Arab-Israeli peace process, Khatemi sounded like Rafsanjani bis. "Of course, we are not going to have any intervention in this matter and we are going to leave it to the people of Palestine and the governments and the people of the region," he said. "But we do keep the right to express our views regarding the matter...and with a scientific, realistic approach we do think that the current process will not come to any conclusion." Khatemi called Israel "an illegitimate racist state... We do not recognize Israel (let alone) to negotiate or establish ties with it. [...] [W]e believe that there can be no peace until all the legitimate demands of the Palestinians are met," he said.
Khatemi placed the blame for the current state of Iranian-U.S. relations squarely on Washington, and called on the U.S. to make the first gestures toward reconciliation. "As long as the U.S. is after harming Iran's interests and independence, Iran will have no relations with the U.S," he said. [CNN 5/27; The Iran Brief 6/2]
The publisher of "Aftabgardan" magazine, Gholam Hussein Kabaschi, was fined 20 million rials by the public court of Tehran on May 19 and his publishing license revoked. The magazine had published a satiric series called "firm and full support of an informant for performance of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting."
Meanwhile, another Tehran court found two writers, Najafqoli Habibi and Sediqeh Vamaqi, guilty of publishing articles offending Majlis deputy Mohammad Javad Larijani. Habibi and Vasmaqi are both teachers at Tehran University. The verdict charged them with having gone "beyond the limits in their critiques and analyses of the minutes of Larijani's talks with British deputy foreign secretary in London. The court fined each of them one million rials for defamation. They have also been given a two-month jail sentence for publishing "false reports." [IRNA, 5/21]
During the campaign, conservative cleric Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri told at an assembly of public education teachers in Tehran it was not true that he would impose full-length one-piece chador as the official attire for women if he won the elections. Nateq Nouri further said: "Some people have compared us with the Taleban and quoted me as saying that if I become president, I will make the wearing of the chador compulsory. I categorically deny such misquotations and false allegations. In my opinion, although the chador is the most commendable form of Hijab (Islamic attire for women), I hold that any form of dress covering the woman's body is sufficient." [Tehran Times, 5/6]
He said public education system is the main bulwark against cultural invasion. While approving the need for cultural exchange, he counseled vigilance. Otherwise, "the people will unintentionally put the yoke of cultural invasion on their own shoulders."
Asked whether secular tendencies - commonly referred to as "liberalism" in the official language of the IRI - had a real foothold in Iran, as had been the case after the triumph of the 1906 constitutional revolution, he conceded that the Islamic Republic had suffered a secular assault shortly after 1979 and during Banisadr's term of office but that the wave had since somewhat subsided. [IRNA, 5/16]
In a scathing editorial, Tehran Times accused Turkey's Defense Minister of intending to "surrender his country to Washington and Tel Aviv" for having voiced concern over Iran's efforts to develop its chemical warfare and ballistic missile capabilities, and warned that the country could become another Algeria.
The editorial reassured Turkey of Iran's good neighborliness but went on to say that the general seemed to have been either "bribed or brainwashed by Israel. In either case, Turkey's sovereignty and independence are at stake."
"The generals in Ankara must realize that playing in the hands of Israel is not in their country's interests. The Turkish people, absolute majority of whom are Muslims, will not tolerate subservience to Tel Aviv and Washington. The generals may be able to temporarily suppress the people, but in the long run what happened in Algeria may be repeated in Turkey. Instead of turning their country into a hell, Turkey's generals had better listen to the voice of conscience and respect the people's aspirations", the editorial concluded. [5/4]
Tehran Times conducted interviews with a group of bazaaris to learn their expectations from the president.
"Currently there is no profitable balance between investment and capital return," one said. "Any sudden fluctuation of prices wipes out real income gained through investment".
"One of the main problems of businessmen is the unstable laws and regulations," said another. "One day a law prohibits the importation of certain goods. Later, the law is reversed permitting businessmen to import the same goods".
"Sometimes the sudden increase in prices is artificial," said a third. "For example, this year's inflation of 30 per cent allegedly caused by the increase in prices of petrol and its finished products may be said to be artificial inflation".
Mohammad Taqi Khaki, a newcomer who started his career in the bazaar six months ago, said: "I earn 200,000 rials per month. It is not enough for a family that lives in Tehran. A man should earn at least 600,000 rials per month to run a family (here). The next president should remove the (salary) obstacle". [Tehran Times 5/6]
The Committee for the Investigation of Presidential Elections' Publicity has referred the daily Hamshahri to the judicial authorities for prosecution, for alleged violations of the election law. The committee was set up ostensibly to prevent one-sided and unbalanced publicity for candidates who use public funds for their campaign, but in fact was used by Nateq-Nouri in a brazen attempt to stifle pro-Khatemi publications.
In its May 5 session, the committee said it had reviewed reports from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and from the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Khorasan, and concluded that Hamshahri had violating election regulations by publishing regional supplements to its newspaper. Hamshahri is published by the Municipality of Tehran and therefore, is subsidized by taxpayers. It is unclear what will happen to the investigation now that Khatemi has won the election...
A new daily published by the Islamic Republic News Agency, "Iran Daily", hit the newsstands on May 21. The main mission of the newspaper, according to IRNA, is to "offer a correct picture of Iran to outsiders" - some comment on existing English-language dailies such as Iran News and Tehran Times. "Iran Daily" will emphasize "economic affairs in the domestic and regional domain," IRNA said.
In its first editorial, the paper lamented the sorry state of the Iranian economy and expressed hope that Rafsanjani's successor would do something about "high inflation, a collapsing banking system undermined by heavy government borrowings, flourishing corruption, a disappearing middle class and an uneven distribution of wealth, and flight of capital, one of the lowest rates of economic growth among the developing nations, and stagnating industrial production and stumbling exports." [IRNA, May 23]
The public relations office of Tehran's Water Company has warned Tehran resident recently that a severe water shortage was imminent this summer. If the temperature rises above 38 degrees Celsius, he reportedly said, water in some areas will be cut off, due to shortage of rainfall this spring. Tehran's water consumption has reached 2.3 million cubic meters per day, an 8 percent increase compared to last year. [5/13]
Presidential candidate Mohammad Reyshari said he believes that Salman Rushdie, the author of the book The Satanic Verses, remains an apostate and that Khomeini's death edict against him is therefore still in force. Questioned on the issue during the campaign, Reyshari said he believed that Khomeini's order was "obligatory" for "for anyone who is capable of carrying it out." [Jomhouri-e Eslami, 5/7]
Note: readers may find other statements not yet posted at the time we posted this Newswire by visiting the web sites of the various opposition groups linked on our "Opposition" page
May 24, 1997
Washington, D.C. -- Iranians have exploited the opportunity to choose between bad or worse, to strike a blow against the Islamic Republic and show their rejection of the clerical regime's repressive policies by rejecting Khamenei's hand-picked candidate, Nateq-Nouri. Iranians used the occasion to show their strong disapproval of the leaders of the regime and their policies that have repressed Iranian youth and women and caused poverty, unemployment and misery in Iran.
Mohammad Khatemi's upset victory over Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri in the Islamic Republic's presidential election is especially significant since he was supported by the clerical regime's leader Ali Khamene'i.
During the campaign, Khatemi made many promises to gain the support of Iranian youth, women and others who object to the regime's oppressive behavior. Khatemi pledged to increase social freedom, respect civil liberties, and solve the problems of rampant inflation and high unemployment. Khamenei's supporters have attacked Khatemi for embracing "anti-revolutionary ideas."
Regardless of whether Khatemi fulfills his promises to the Iranian people, the resounding rejection of the regime's policies by Iranians has irrevocably changed the situation in Iran. Khatemi must either confront the regime's repressive leaders and organs, in order to carry out his promises, or ignore the promises and continue the bankrupt policies of the regime. Either way, Iranians have opened a new chapter in the campaign to achieve democracy and rule of law.
"In the past, many leaders of the Islamic Republic have made promises to respect the rights of the Iranian people, but they have never delivered on those promise. Therefore, until the Islamic Republic ceases to repress Iranians, the promises by the leaders of the regime are viewed with doubt and skepticism by the Iranian people," said Dr. Khosrow Akmal , CMI's Secretary General. "Iranians demand freedom for prominent journalist Faraj Sarkuhi, and all other political prisoners, and freedom of speech and the press," he added.
The Constitutionalists Movement of Iran is a political organization, striving to bring freedom, democracy, and the rule of law to Iran.
May 23 is the Presidential election day in Iran. The fundamental right of the Iranian people to elect their President is violated by the Guardian Council.
The Guardian Council is acting as the Guardian of the People not the constitution.
Take a small step in defending everyone's right to freely cast their vote and elect their favorite President rather than Guardian council's favorite President.
Please sign this letter by sending an email to dni@glue.umd.edu and filling the following form:
name:
profession:
city, country
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On May 8, 1997, the Guardian Council of Iran, rejected candidacy of 234 out of 238 Presidential candidates in Iran based on some discriminatory criteria. This act violates Artilces 2 and 21 of the UDHR. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a signatory of this Declaration.
We, the undersigned, are calling for Free Elections in Iran. We strongly object to the Guardian Council's screening role in the election process in Iran. We find this role undemocratic, and against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states: "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures". "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives". [Article 21].
Furthermore, we believe that the Election laws are discriminatory and flawed. We strongly believe that revision of these laws such as article 115 is a strong pre-requisite for Free Elections in Iran. Article 115 of the Islamic Republic constitution states: "The President must be elected from among religious and political personalities [rijal], possessing the following qualifications: Iranian origin; Iranian nationality; administrative capacity and resourcefulness; a good past-record; trustworthiness and piety; convinced belief in the fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the official madhhab of the country." A Free Election will require revision of this law which is discriminatory against: non-religious Moslems [secular], Women, non-Moslems, atheists, non-believers in the fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran [clerical rule and Velayate Faghih] and non-Shia' Moslems. IRI is a signatory to UDHR which states: "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status" [Article 2]. Removal of [May 8, 1997] Azam Taleghani, a woman candidate, Sahabi, Dr. Yazdi, Dr. Payman, non-governmental religious-political and "liberal" Personalities and other religious non-governmental candidates such as Rajaee Khorassanee and H. Tabarzadi from the upcoming Presidential Elections by the Guardian Council is evidence of such discriminatory behaviour. It is the removal of 234 out of 238 Presidential candidates that amplifies and highlights the severity of the undemocratic nature of Guardian Council's role in the election process.
Last but not least, most of the existing [banned or tolerated] secular Opposition parties have boycotted the elections on the grounds that pre-requisites for Free and Fair Elections are not satisfied. National Front of Iran, The Union of National Forces [Nation's Party, People's Party, Movement for Freedom in Iran, Nation's Toilers Party of Iran] which operate inside of Iran have boycotted the elections. The Exile Opposition forces have also boycotted the elections. The secular groups are barred by the constitution [article 115] to compete for the Presidential Office.
We, as Iranian professionals and intellectuals in exile are deeply concerned about continuos violation of Human Rights by the Islamic Republic of Iran and specially non-conformances with Articles 2 and 21 which are related to free and genuine Elections. We have identified the following steps as pre-requisites for Free Elections in Iran and would like to bring it to the Iranian people and international human rights organization's attention:
1. Provision of Freedom of Expression, Press, Assembly, formation and activity of all political Parties [including the secular and non-religious ones]. 2. Elimination of the Guardian Council's screening role in the elections process in Iran. 3. Revision of laws that promote discrimination based on religion, political belief, ideology, ethnicity and gender. 4. Fair and equitable access to government owned media in the Election Process.
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1. Zard Sarty, M.Arch., M.C.D., Researcher, Canada 2. Dr. Kourosh Parsa, Electrical Engineer, New York, USA 3. Dr. Asghar Abdi, Physician, UK 4. Dr. L.R. Barlett, Physician, UK 5. Behdad Forghani, Electrical Engineer, Montreal, Canada 6. Ali Shahidi, MIS Director, Los Angeles, USA 7. Bahar Khorram, Electrical Engineer, USA 8. Dr. Ghavam Shahidi, New York, USA 9. Dr. Kaveh Khoshnood, Epidemiologist, New Haven, Connecticut, USA 10. Mehran Sam, Ph.D. Student, Toronto, Canada 11. Dr. Morteza Abdollahi, Computer Scientist, New Jersey,USA 12. Behzad Sadeghi, Electrical Engineer, CA, USA 13. Steven Samimi, Student, Hobart, Australia 14. Dr. Mansour Farhang, Political Scientist, VT, USA 15. Dariush Anooshfar, Mathematician, CA, USA Trita Parsi, student, Uppsala, Sweden 16. Farhad Abdolian, HW Design Engineer, Stockholm, Sweden 17. Alberto xxx, informatica, Vic, Catalonia 18. Sam Shahoveisi, dentistry student, Willow Grove, PA, USA 19. Dr. Saied KazemiNejad, Electrical Engineer, TX, USA 20. Dr. Amir Hossein GanjBakhsh, Physicist, Washington DC, USA
I support the above signature drive and want to add my name to the list of signatures.
25th May, 1997 - By Mehrdad Irani : Once again the misery and short-sightedness of certain Iranian circles is showing its face. The "good cop - bad cop" machination of the clerics in creating a false sense of hope in the Iranian community has succeeded to such a large degree wherein some are labeling the election of Khatemi as a "blow against the Islamic Republic".
Obviously we have not tasted enough of the moderate medicines prescribed by yet another so-called reformer [Rafsanjani], for we are now categorizing the election of Khatemi, who has successfully passed through the filter of the Guardian Council, (where incidentally its members are hand picked by the Supreme Theologian), as "a blow to the Islamic Republic" !!
This 18 year old oven has burned the very fiber of the Iranian soul, yet some among us are childishly hoping that this time around, albeit still glowing hot, it would not burn our hands as bad!
The advocacy of this non-rational hope, in fact the use of words like: "...Iranians have opened a new chapter in the campaign to achieve democracy and rule of law..." plays into the hands of those who work effortlessly to disguise the true nature of the regime of the Velayate Fagih who would not hesitate to deceive the world community & its opponents by merely changing its shameless tactics.
In short, I cannot help but feel sorry for those who interpret this cock & bull story as anything but another chapter in the show which the clerics have devised to prolong their rule.
The second "Amir Kabir" of Iran as Hashemi Rafsanjani was referred to, is stepping down, after 8 years in office, having wrecked the Iranian economy with three digit inflationary figures. God only knows what this "new chapter" has cooked up for the naive, simple-minded Iranians.