Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, June 5, 2021—Iranian regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei is increasingly afraid about the repercussions of the growing tensions of his regime’s upcoming presidential election. It is a well-known fact that elections in the mullahs’ regime are a masquerade that have no vestige of democracy and only serve as a façade to legitimize their brutal rule. Nonetheless, the mere fact that the regime puts up a show that create the impression of elections and voting causes tensions across the regime. And in its current state, the regime has near-zero tolerance for such shows.
In his most recent remarks, Khamenei expressed relief that his regime has still not been overthrown and said, “Across the world, I know of no other establishment that has been predicted to collapse as the Islamic Republic.”
In remarks that were meant to boost the morale of his troops and followers, Khamenei added, “Today, the establishment is more developed and progressed than ever and in every direction.”
Like most of the things Khamenei says, his latest remarks are a reversal of the truth, meant to exude power and conceal the weaknesses of his regime. Nonetheless, Khamenei couldn’t hide his fear of the public hatred toward his regime and the crises that have engulfed it.
“Today, the enemies are lying in ambush to drive a wedge between the people and the establishment. They are spinning security and political conspiracies as well as economic enmity,” Khamenei said.
Khamenei also revealed his fear of the potential all-out boycott of the upcoming election and begged the people to vote in the sham election. “Some people, due to livelihood problems… are uncertain to participate in the election… We shouldn’t let these things discourage us,” Khamenei said.
Khamenei also quoted regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini and said, “Not participating in the elections is a sin, perhaps one of the greater sins. Not participating will have repercussions in life and perhaps in the future generations and will be prosecuted by God!”
Even the regime’s most reactionary followers don’t buy into this narrative anymore.
The sham election is not even a show
But despite all the pleading and begging, Khamenei could not even bring himself to turn the presidential election masquerade into a convincing show. Last week, the Guardian Council, the body that oversees all elections, disqualified most candidates that posed a threat to Ebrahim Raisi, Khamenei’s favored official for the presidential post.
One candidate who was disqualified, Ali Larijani, had been a close advisor and confidant to Khamenei for three decades and a man with many egregious crimes on his resume. His elimination caused much tension within the ranks of the regime. Khamenei was forced to comment on the issue and say that some candidates “have been wronged,” hinting at the possible comeback of Larijani, whom the supporters of the appeasement policy try to present as a moderate figure.
But the Guardian Council, whose members are strictly controlled by Khamenei himself, reiterated its decision to disqualify Larijani, putting the last nail in the coffin of what seemed to be a hopeful run for the so-called “reformist” faction.
Khamenei has done all he can to make Raisi, a mass murderer and executioner, his next president. This is only proof of undemocratic elections are in Iran and how weak Khamenei is that he can’t even hold up his own ridiculous masquerade.
