How will Presidential elections become the determining factor of the political landscape in Iran?
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Alaina
- . June 5, 2021
- . Update: June 9, 2021 6:48 pm
Presidential elections in Iran are due this month and it is important for us to understand how important these elections are going to be as a lot has changed in the last four years in terms of the politics and yet not much has changed claim the residents.
Even though there is a lot that depends on these elections , it is highly possible that the elections are going to be witnessing the lowest turnout in the history of Iranian elections. Majority of the contenders who were looking to lead the country have been rejected and the only options available in front of people are arch conservatives.
Last elections were held in 2017 and since then the whole political landscape in Iran which were majorly dominated by protests demanding the takedown of government. There were a series of anti-government protests, social activities and as per many reports in the media, the leadership had also carried out executions of political prisoners.
Amid all of this, the country is also facing a huge economic crisis. The blockades by the United States had severely impacted the functioning of the country and made it even more difficult for people to tackle the threat of coronavirus. With rejection of many of the contenders in these elections, experts suggest that it will be difficult to predict the will of the people.
Low turnout is another big concern for the Iranian leader. Though there is a perception that the election held in Iran is not free by any means but as per the constitution, it is necessary that there is a high turnout of voters so that leaders can prove their legitimacy in the ecltions.
As per a survey conducted in May, reports suggested that 32 percent of the total population of Iran were of the opinion to not vote for any one. This is huge of people not voting and undermining the determining factor of the presidential elections.
The situation is far worse than one can imagine in the country under the current leadership. There were unwarranted executions, corruption, and an archial form of governance that led to disappointment of people. According to reports published by Amnesty, there were more than 300 killings of unarmed personnels in the country by security officials. The clarity for such a large -scale incident is yet to come.
It is these incidents that are leading people to question the ones in power. Another factor here is the change in power in the United States. After the exit of Donald Trump, there has been a more softer approach to the activities of Iran, making them more acceptable to Joe Biden. Hence whatever the result of these presidential elections comes out to be, it will be very crucial for the people who are struggling to live in that country.
