As the day of the Iranian regime’s sham parliamentary elections approaches, regime officials, especially supreme leader Ali Khamenei, are extremely anxious and worried about a mass boycott.
Thus, the entire extensive propaganda apparatus of the regime has mobilized to prevent the inevitable humiliating results. The situation seems so dire for the regime that even the politicians of the marginalized factions are rushing to save the tyrannical rules of the mullahs.
Despite having been eliminated from politics by Khamenei, this group insists on repeating and emphasizing that “we are all on the same boat” and that we must use our fingers to plug its holes and prevent it from sinking.
They organize so-called debates where they appear to be critical of the regime’s policies to purge rivals. However, their real intention is to underline the regime’s red line, which is the PMOI, and promote the elections and convince the people of Iran, who have made it clear that they want to overthrow the regime, that the only way to solve their problems is to vote in the sham elections. One recent example is exemplary.
A recent video published by the state-run Didar website shows a debate between three regime analysts, including Mehdi Nasiri, introduced as a “journalist and religious researcher who has a background in managing the Keyhan newspaper in his resume, he emphasizes the need for a new political system and governance.”
Nasiri says, “The Supreme Leader said that elections should be held so that it does not lead to dictatorship! Are we currently living in a democracy? Is the Islamic Republic system democratic? What is the concept of dictatorship? It means that all powers and authorities are concentrated on one person… His actions, his orders, his notes, his writings, his glances, his whims are above the law!… The Islamic Republic relies more on its prisons, its prison guards, its interrogators, its pellet guns, and authoritarian measures than on reform, dialogue, change, and engagement with society… In the Velayate Faghih system, absolute power reigns, and that’s it.”
This is a rare confession from a regime insider, which is testament to the weak state of the regime, which forces it to put up such shows to create a pretense of dialog and free speech right ahead of the elections.
In another part of his remarks, Nasiri said, “Today, security institutions in different cities summon people for posting a [Instagram] Story or some other content. The IRGC Intelligence and the Ministry of Intelligence are constantly threatening.”
In another part of the so-called debate, Nasiri is questioned: “Mr. Nasiri! If you don’t consider the system reformable, then what are you doing here? Why do you even live in this country? Why don’t you take up arms and stand against the Islamic Republic? Why don’t you overthrow it? The PMOI wanted to do this!”
This is where Nasiri reveals his hand and his true nature, which is to protect the regime at all costs. Nasiri quickly says, “I am not a terrorist” to draw a line with the Iranian Resistance and to say that resistance against the regime is futile and the regime will fall by itself.
He then quickly adds, “All opposition movements believe that [PMOI] is a violent and ideological cult which is similar to some forces within the regime. Fortunately, everyone will put them aside.”
So the entire build-up of the conversation was for this regime insider to put on a façade of opposition only to disparage the main opposition movement.
In recent days, Khamenei has called upon “all those who have a voice, have an audience, and…” to use “any method” to promote the elections and “compel the people” to participate in the elections. Therefore, if they see it suitable speak out against the Supreme Leader or about the embedded corruption in the regime, it is tolerated as long as the elections are promoted and the regime’s red line, which is the PMOI, is not crossed.
Furthermore, the interrogators of prisons and intelligence officers repeatedly told their audience that Khamenei is not red line, the PMOI is. This red line can clearly be seen in another one of the election propaganda debates that was broadcasted on the regime’s television on January 18. One of the participants in that debate said, “If a [PMOI] passed by the house of one of my fourth-degree relatives, I would be disqualified [from the elections].”
The regime is caught in a trap of its own making. On the one hand, it wants to create a façade of democracy to avoid another humiliating elections boycott. But at the same time, it has to draw a line with the main force that has been calling for regime change and democracy for more than four decades. However, after decades of tyranny and corruption, the people of Iran will not fall for the regime’s ruses anymore. The regime’s self-defeating tactics will only strengthen the resolve of the people and their resistance movement to overthrow this regime.