Joint Statement of Three Democrat-Secular Republican Organizations and Parties

Joint Statement of Three Democrat-Secular Republican Organizations and Parties on the Results of the Recent Presidential Election

June 18 was a Day of Demonstration of the people’s Power and Depiction of a Hopeful Outlook for the Future of the Iranian Pro-Democracy Movement!

June 18 is an important day in the history of Iran after the January 1979 Revolution, which should be considered the day of the majority of the Iranian people protesting the dictatorship of Velayat-e-Faqih and showing their power. On this day, according to the official statistics, the validity of which is in question, considering the invalid votes, only 42% went to the polls in the 13th presidential election and voted for the remaining four candidates qualifies by the Guardian Council! A total of 58% of the population eligible to vote in the mandated election, which lost the minimum competition of previous terms and whose winner was determined before election day, either abstained from the ballot box or cast their ballots in the form of "invalid ballots".

This incident, during which the lowest official turnout in the presidential elections took place, showed the lack of legitimacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the eyes of the Iranian people and world public opinion. The importance of the action of the majority of the Iranian people is further understood when the Velayat-e Faqih institution, with the help of the government of moderation and conservative reformists, tried to increase the cost of propaganda for "election boycotts" inside the country and prevent the promotion of boycott as "protest action" to field activities and, on the other hand, to give a competitive effect to the mandated election by creating a false wave. However, the majority of Iranians avoided falling into this trap and strengthened their political presence to say “NO” to "religious tyranny" and to protest the meaninglessness of the election and its lack of impact in various areas of individual and collective life. Even local elections could not attract more than half of the eligible voters. Therefore, the elected officials, both at the national level and in most cities and towns, are not representative of the people in most cases due to the low level of public participation, but they are the elected agents of the ruling minority in engineered interventions.

The dramatic increase in "invalid votes" was the phenomenon of this election and another form of protest; It was so widespread that the regime could not hide it by manipulation, and instead tried to make it seem like "acceptance of the regime" or side problems in a doomed failure attempt! While the invalid votes were protest votes. In this period, invalid vote won the second place in the presidential elections, the first place in several metropolises in the council elections and the first place in the mid-term parliamentary elections in the metropolitan area of ​​Tehran, which along with the refusal of 52.2% of Iranians to vote according to official statistics, it reflected the scandal of the engineered elections of the system and the big defeat of the institution of Velayat-e-Faqih.

In the last days of its activity, Hassan Rouhani's government received a rejection score due to its inability to cope with narrowing the channels of political participation, accompanying the hard core of power in holding stagy elections, and working to get people to the "mandated ballot boxes." The preoccupation of most government officials before and after the election was the induction of the defeat of the "election boycott", which not only did not work, but also exposed the severity of their political deception, which, by abusing the people's vote served the authoritarian power and ultimately consolidating authoritarianism in the regime institutions and align them with the institution of Velayat-e-Faqih in the gap between the Velayat (Guardianship) and the republic.

A wide and diverse range of Iranian political and social forces at home and abroad reacted negatively to the pseudo-presidential election. This great and unwritten alignment that emerged in "Refusal to Vote" and operated across class, ethnic, gender, geographical, ideological, cultural, and lifestyle divisions revealed the high capacity of Iranian society for a common understanding of issues and a sense of “belonging and common fate" that it is a valuable asset to free the country from the current regression. It also marks the continuation of a new political chapter in Iran in the wake of the nationwide protests of January 2018 and November 2019 and the successful boycott of the March 2020 parliamentary elections, in which the Iranian people's protest movement goes beyond the monopoly dualism of "reformists and fundamentalists" and outside the power structure and internal mechanisms of the Islamic Republic and is seeking fundamental changes.

Although the demands and ultimate goals were not the same among those who said “NO” to the mandated election, an approach that emphasized "active boycott" of quasi-election in defense of democracy and the principles of free and fair elections before the Guardian Council decision, revealed itself in the correct analysis of the situation and the adoption of effective policies. The "recent election" has sparked new alignments among Iran's political forces. Now the echo of the force that emphasizes strategic considerations in the strategy-tactics balance and emphasizes the transition from the Islamic Republic has become louder. Reformists were also divided in two categories during this period. Although the voices of some government-centered reformists led by Mohammad Khatami, who heated the oven of the mandated election, were heard, the resistance of the “Nation Union Party”, “the Combatant Clergy Association”, “the Islamic Association of Engineers”, and “the Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and Researchers” and some individual activists have revealed a capacity that will be considered by some reformists in the future, unlike in the last decade. However, the widespread and heavy defeat in the city council elections, especially in Tehran, and the fact of wining nearly 4% of the votes of eligible voters in the presidential election showed that the government-oriented reformism, which is active in the existing power structure, is at a complete standstill.

The regime, realizing the lack of legitimacy and public acceptance and deciding to maintain the absolute construction of power and resisting the transfer of power to the people, is moving towards a more closed political environment, and increasing cohesion in the power bloc to perpetuate repression and supportive relations and money laundering in society to continue its illegitimate political life. But it seems that Ibrahim Raisi's obvious personal weaknesses and the populist promises and lack of expertise and executive backing presented in the days of the election campaign not only did not alleviate the system's challenges, but one can expect that the unified regime, with overtaking three branches of the government by the "radical fundamentalist" faction, will cause the “regime become more fragile," "raise the super-challenges to an uncontrollable stage," "further reveal the discourse and political deadlock of the Islamic Republic," and "increase the decline in the social base of the system."

Ibrahim Raisi, who is scheduled to officially form the "Thirteenth Government" in August, in addition to being a member of the "Death Committee" and participating in the killing of thousands of political prisoners, will not be able to keep promises, such as "building 4 million housing units", "eradicate administrative and economic corruption", "end absolute poverty", "high economic growth and the establishment of sustainable prosperity in the business environment", etc. Illusions such as "resistance economy", "Islamic awakening" and "revolutionary government" will not be able to play a role in solving the country's problems during the sole rule of the "fundamentalists". But in this period, it is important to shed light on the populist and ideologically aggressive approach of Raisi and his supporters. They no longer have any excuse and must be held accountable for their actions in the face of the elimination of their competitors and the complete takeover of the elected institutions. Also, Khamenei is not able to easily continue his double standards in the past, especially in foreign policy.

The strong presence of Republican forces in boycotting the 13th presidential election was a turning point in the growth of secular-democrat republicanism in the Iranian political sphere. We, the three secular-democrat organizations and parties, while appreciating the concerted action of the majority of Iranians and republican activists who exercised their political responsibility in boycotting this election, see this as an opportunity to increase republican convergence and emphasize the need for increased cooperation. We are pleased that by advancing the "I DO NOT VOTE" campaign and other political, organizational and media activities, we have been part of a collective effort to successfully experience a "boycott of the stagy election 2021".

The widespread cooperation formed in saying “NO” to the mandated election has also provided a valuable opportunity to build national solidarity and form a dialogue to resuscitate the homeland and the nation from the miserable situation. The main message of the boycott of the presidential election is the emergence of a new political chapter in Iran, which requires special attention of the forces that believe in fundamental changes in the power structure of the country. For our part, we declare our readiness to take appropriate measures in this new environment and to pay attention to synergistic interaction in the framework of the main demands of the people, the public interest, and the national and territorial interests of Iran.

Political-Executive Boards of:

United Republicans of Iran

The Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)

Union for Secular Republic and Human Rights in Iran (USRHR)

June 26, 2021