Our country is in an extremely difficult state. As the consequences of the destructive policies and actions of the Islamic Republic in various social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural spheres, Iran has faced wide-ranging crises. The Islamic Republic is neither capable of resolving multiple crises and governing the country, nor is it willing to change. Inefficient regime management, structural corruption, rampant inflation, and economic sanctions have made the lives of the majority of our people miserable. Large groups of people have been overwhelmed by this situation and have protested against the regime. Demand movements and street uprisings change the political scene of the country and pave the way for social and political changes. In recent weeks, popular protests against the skyrocketing prices, followed by street demonstrations in Abadan and a number of cities, and chanting slogans against Khamenei, the clergy and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), have created a new atmosphere.
This situation has created favorable conditions for cooperation in the ranks of the opposition. In the meantime, Mr. Reza Pahlavi has appeared on the stage twice and in the first time he considered himself as the "voice of the people's protest" and tried to confiscate the popular protests in his favor. For the second time, he has commanded mobilization as a leader with a populist approach. At this time, four Persian-language TV channels abroad interrupted their regular programs and covered Mr. Reza Pahlavi's speech. In the following days, in the news section and some programs, they addressed this issue in an unprecedented way.
Contrary to what Mr. Reza Pahlavi has said that he did not wish to become a leader, in this speech he appeared as an authoritarian and populist leader, addressed various groups in society, dismissed the opposition, and tried to " commandeer the protest.”
The live and simultaneous coverage of several TV channels and his attempt to appear as the leader, indicate that powerful circles abroad, using the media facilities, want to create their own alternative in the critical situation of the country, and Introduce Mr. Reza Pahlavi as its leader. Their theme is the slogans of groups of people in the protests, who chanted "Reza Shah, May You Rest in Peac " on the sidelines of the slogans of the people against the regime, targeting Ali Khamenei. The monarchists abroad with the help of a number of media place this slogan as the main slogan of the people and portray it as if the people want the return of the monarchy and look at Mr. Reza Pahlavi as the savior of the country's liberation from the Islamic Republic. No slogans in favor of the monarchy and Reza Shah were heard in the protests of workers, teachers and retirees and the protests of the people of Isfahan and Khuzestan. The people mostly express their demands and show their anger at the incompetence of the regime’s officials. In some protests, including student protests after rockets were fired at a passenger plane, slogans were chanted against the rule of the Shah and the Sheikh.
Mr. Reza Pahlavi has been claiming to be an advocate of democracy for years. But his ambiguous positions and the contradiction between actions and words, and especially the track record of his supporters and close ones, have cast doubt on his claims. In his last speech, he dismissed the opposition and considered himself the only supporter of the people's struggle. His father suppressed the opposition forces so much that in 1979 there was no powerful political force capable of confronting the power-hungry clerics. In the last two speeches, Mr. Reza Pahlavi has indicated that he intends to return to the authoritarian form of system reminiscent of the past. While democracy is not compatible with the negation of the opposition. Democracy is characterized by a strong civil society and political parties.
It is Mr. Reza Pahlavi's right to declare himself the leader of the supporters of the monarchy. But it is not his right to claim the leadership of the people in the protests and the transition from the Islamic Republic by denying the opposition and taking advantage of the favorable media, and to repeat the caricature of Khomeini's leadership. Iranian society is qualitatively different from 1979. The diverse society of Iran does not embrace such a project.
We, the six Republican political organizations, while considering the Islamic Republic as the main obstacle to the realization of freedom, democracy and justice in Iran and the root cause of the current deplorable conditions, express our opposition to any lifelong institution in the future political system of Iran. We believe that the "creating leadership project", the totalitarianism based on mobilization of the masses, and the disparagement of the democratic republican organizations and political activists inside and outside the country by the monarchists and the spread of a culture of monopoly, will not lead to democracy in the country. We believe that in the light of dialogue and interaction between different spectrums of political forces and the cooperation and coalition of convergent spectrums, and finally an agreement on democratic principles and transitional requirements from the Islamic Republic, it will be possible to achieve democracy.
Political-Executive Boards of:
United Republicans of Iran
Iran National Front - Europe (Samane Sixth)
The Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)
Social Democratic and Secular Republicans Party of Iran
Iranian National Front Organizations - Abroad
Union for Secular Republic and Human Rights in Iran (USRHR)
June 9, 2022
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