Prior to the Iranian regime’s sham parliamentary elections, there were numerous articles by renowned western politicians and Iranian and international experts in international media outlets. Below are excerpts of some of these articles.
Giulio Terzi – Tehran Fears Electoral Boycott While Iranians Await International Recognition
In his article published on TownHall, Mr. Giulio Terzi, former Italian foreign minister, Ambassador to the United States, and Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations wrote: “On February 21, 2020, the Iranian regime will hold elections for the 11th term of its parliament, in which 290 legislators will be elected. This may leave Western observers with the impression that Iran has democratic representation, but that is a false impression. Ahead of this month’s elections, the Guardian Council disqualified nearly 55% of the candidates, including 90 sitting members of parliament, some of whom had served three previous terms. This purge demonstrates Khamenei’s push to completely control all political instruments needed to implement his dark agenda. He needs to do this because he fears that the waves of popular protests are growing and becoming more organized.”
#Iran Fears Electoral Boycott While Iranians Await International Recognition https://t.co/GEmxTEXgVe @NCRIUS @Iran_Policy #BoycottIranShamElections
— Ali Safavi (@amsafavi) February 20, 2020
“The people of Iran cast their vote for regime change during their recent uprisings. With chants of ‘Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader,’ they demonstrated that they want a future devoid of both the monarchy and the mullahs. That parody democracy is a nightmare for the Iranian people and their quest for freedom. The European Union, its institutions and all its member states must recognize this fact immediately, and must take action by insisting upon international monitoring of the process and establishing an appropriate set of additional binding sanctions against the officials and institutions that are responsible for withholding true democracy in Iran,” Mr. Terzi added.
Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan on UPI – Expect Iranians to boycott sham elections, continue calls for regime change
In his article, published on the United Press International (UPI) on Thursday, Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan, the executive director of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore, wrote: “The widespread discontent on the Iranian street is an almost sure sign of forthcoming boycotts in this week’s parliamentary elections, and it is all but certain that the boycotts will be followed in time by another upsurge in public protests and continued calls for regime change by the Iranian people.”
.@PROFSHEEHAN via @UPI | Expect Iranians to Boycott Sham Elections, Continue Calls for Regime Change | https://t.co/eHsNJ62Vgo #Iran @IPC_US @PublicAffairsUB @Ubaltmain @Univ_System_MD @SecPompeo @POTUS @StateDeptsPox @StateDept #Congress @HouseForeign #MaximumPressure
— Ivan Sascha Sheehan (@ProfSheehan) February 20, 2020
Dr. Aladdin Touran – Iran regime’s Parliamentary elections and challenges facing it
Dr. Aladdin Touran, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) Foreign Affairs Committee, explained in his article on Modern Diplomacy stated: “A way out for the regime is to show ‘massive’ participation of people in the elections. Despite the removal of the so-called reformist candidates, the regime’s President Hassan Rouhani also begged in a speech on the anniversary of the Iranian revolution on February 12, 2020, for people to participate in the elections. The President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.”
“Mrs. Maryam Rajavi has called on the Iranian people to boycott the upcoming elections. A poll on the state-run news network’s Telegram showed that 83% of the people are not willing to participate in the elections. The regime was forced to hastily remove this poll from Telegram,” he added.
Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad – Iran 2020 Election Polls, Waves of panic and Predictions
Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad, an Adjunct Faculty at George Mason University, wrote on E-International Relations:
“By all indications, even if Khamenei shifts the elections in his favor, deeper crises await the entire regime. A member of Khamenei’s faction, Hamid Rouhani, predicted that people may ‘repeat the same scenario as the 2009’ where millions poured into the streets denouncing the fraudulent elections. Iran’s parliamentary election is best understood as one held by a regime in fear of its unraveling in the hands of Iranian people, paralyzed with international isolation, but the future of Iran should be examined through it promising and a woman-led alternative.”
New article by Ramesh Sepehrrad – Opinion – Iran 2020: Election Polls, Panics and Predictions https://t.co/BONH3cSVSY
— E-IR (@E_IR) February 20, 2020
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh – Iranians’ desire for true democracy should be supported
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, an Iranian-American political scientist and president of the International American Council, wrote on Arab News, that the “So-called parliamentary elections will be held in Iran on Friday for the 290 seats of the country’s ‘Islamic Consultative Assembly.’ Given the recent popular protests and uprisings, as well as the mounting crises the regime is facing, this year’s election is different and could be a prelude to greater changes, including the downfall of the regime itself.”
Iranians’ desire for true democracy should be supported https://t.co/jdxNWcx248 @NCRIUS @Iran_Policy #BoycottIranShamElection
— Ali Safavi (@amsafavi) February 20, 2020
“Both factions, the so-called moderates, and the hard-liners are equally committed to the regime’s survival. Both endorse human rights violations and the repression of protests, and support the Assad dictatorship in Syria and the Iranian-backed terrorist proxies and militia groups in the region,” he added.
“The Iranian regime is facing unprecedented challenges. At home, major uprisings have shaken the mullahs’ dictatorship to its foundations, and the economy is in freefall. Regionally, Tehran lost Qassem Soleimani, their terror master and top general who was in charge of executing Khamenei’s regional plans, while protests continue in Iraq and Lebanon against the Iranian regime’s malign conduct and meddling,” he continued
“The growing activities of the democratic opposition, particularly the “resistance units” of the main organized opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), can be added to this potent mix. Young people are increasingly joining their ranks and hoping to topple the regime. Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect, has called for a wholesale boycott of the elections. She said the purge of the moderate faction’s candidates is a clear sign of the rulers’ retrenchment in the face of surging protests,” wrote Dr. Rafizadeh.