I/II. Iran Daily: A “Victory for All” in the Elections *by Scott Lucas*March 01
http://eaworldview.com/2016/03/iran-daily-a-victory-for-all-in-the-elections/ *PHOTO:* *Former President Mohammad Khatami “Iranians Demand Fulfillment of Slogans”* ------------------------------ As centrists and reformists celebrate gains in Iran’s elections, former reformist President Mohammad Khatami has proclaimed a “victory for all”. Khatami is barred by the regime from appearing or being quoted in Iranian media, but he *published a letter <https://twitter.com/abasinfo/status/704262378569998340>* to Iranians as the centrist-reformist alliance took almost half the declared seats in Parliament and the Assembly of Experts, the body which chooses the Supreme Leader. The former President *heralded support <http://www.irantracker.org/>* for the Rouhani Government: It is the government’s turn, particularly the respected representatives of our nation, to serve the desires and demands of the people, especially through the creation of economic prosperity, advancement of their livelihood, and the formation of an open, healthy political climate…. [Iranians] are demanding the fulfillment of the slogans and programs that [our] respected President has offered and for which they voted. A Mixed Parliament Exact counts of the new Majlis vary according to whether “independents” are predicted to join one of the two main blocs, the conservatives and the centrists-reformists, and there are about 60 runoff contests in April for the 290-seat Parliament. However, the best estimate is that conservatives will hold about half the seats, with the centrist-reformist bloc having a sizable minority far in excess of their representation over the past decade. In the most symbolic result of the contest, the centrist-reformist List of Hope took all 30 seats in Tehran. The leader of Iran’s conservative bloc, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, finished 31st. The success came despite the efforts of the Guardian Council to restrict the vote, with more than 6,000 candidates — including all but 90 reformists — disqualified. A New Assembly of Experts? Even more surprising was the rise of the centrist-reformist bloc could challenge the conservatives in the 88-member Assembly of Experts. Estimates indicate that the conservative “Two Societies” list is only assured of *about 35 seats so far <http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13941209001157#171659>*. The conservatives will depend on their majority on the 31 successful clerics also endorsed by the centrist Friends of Moderates. Candidates endorsed by the Friends of Moderation alone won at least 11 seats, while independents won at least five seats. The Guardian Council had disqualified 80% of the applicants for the Assembly, including the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini. However, the bans may have spurred a backlash against hardliners and conservatives. Among those who lost their seats in Tehran were the current chair of the Assembly, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, and the leader of the hardline Endurance Front, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi. The Assembly could take on added importance during its eight-year term because of the possibility that it will have to replace the Supreme Leader, 76 and in fragile health. The results add the possibility that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the leading centrists, could regain the chair of the Assembly. Rafsanjani, who led the body from 2007 to 2011, has controversially proposed a Leadership Council after Ayatollah Khamenei’s death. -------------------------- II. Iran Analysis: A View from the Country After the Elections *by Scott Lucas*February 29 http://eaworldview.com/2016/02/iran-analysis-view-country-after-elections/ *PHOTO:* *Newly-elected reformist MP Fatemeh Hussein with her son* ------------------------------ *A correspondent in Isfahan writes for EA:* ------------------------------ The results of Friday’s Parliamentary elections in Iran have washed away all the sadness and wounds that the controversial 2009 Presidential vote left for the reformist and centrist movement. Who could believe that the best-known figures in Tehran among conservatives, also known as principlists, would lose and not get into Parliament? Who would think that they would give way to new faces in Iranian politics? This outcome clearly shows the depth of people’s trust in the leaders of the reformist movement. It was this trust that meant the centrist-reformist List of Hope swept all 30 seats in Tehran. It was this that meant more than 20 newcomers will now sit in the Majlis. Perhaps now, President Rouhani will have more confidence and strength to pursue the national reconciliation plan that he and former President Hashemi Rafsanjani — who led the list of candidates in Tehran for the Assembly of Experts — had proposed after the 2009 election. Principlists who were happy with being in power had no interest in that national reconciliation. However, this result shows that masses of Iranians support it. Though it is unlikely that many principlists and hardliners will immediately take the lesson from their defeat, they might reflect on how — despite their fame and power, and despite a Guardian Council which tried to disqualify their opposition — the voters preferred a new type of politician. They might then realize that it is time to take a constructive step towards political and social measures to bring together Iranians, rather than persist in the denunciations and repression that divide them. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
