The majority of Iranians will not vote in the upcoming presidential election, which is terrifying the state-run media and many officials, but the Guardian Council vetting body doesn’t see the problem or consider that the election is illegitimate.
Meanwhile, infighting among regime officials is shining a light on the systematic corruption that is at the heart of the whole system and has created dire living conditions for Iranians, with 80% of the country living in poverty.
Regime economist Ali Saadooni said that the growth forecasts for the Iranian economy since 1990 have not been met, explaining that “Iran became one of the manifestations of economic failure around the world. Thus, while Iran had high growth potential, in practice we had the weakest economic performance”. He went on to stress that the regime’s economic policy mistakes have been far more detrimental to the people than sanctions ever were.
While state-run paper, the Bazar daily predicted that not even nuclear negotiations could save the economy because the regime is likely to waste foreign exchange reserves of $50-60 billion.
The Vice-Chairman of the Special Commission for Production Leap said that one of the major problems regarding production and development is the so-called golden signatures” in government departments that prevent the formation of new businesses and discourage investors because the predatory mullahs want to take resources and property for themselves; something that is an open secret.
The Eskenas newspaper wrote: “Golden signature makers are still in the economy, and despite the promises of economic policymakers, there is still a strange mafia that controls economic activities.”
The head of Khorasan’s Chamber of Commerce trade commission likened it to a mafia situation, saying that they are the roots of corruption and block business and investment.
He said: “In the process of allocating government currency (for importing goods), we have repeatedly witnessed the destructive role of these pens and golden signatures. If today the currency obtained from the export does not return to the country, the reason is in the same rental capacities.”
While Masoud Khansari, the head of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce, admitted that the economy is the biggest challenge over the next four years and suggested that many presidential candidates would not have run if they knew the true extent of the issue.
He said: “In the last 16 years, 10 million people have been added to the working-age group, but the useful employment rate has increased by only 3 million. What is the candidates’ plan for the issue? Social capital has collapsed, which also affects the economy. Our 10-year average economic growth has been almost zero… The incentive to invest has decreased, and capital flight has increased, as has the transfer of capital to unproductive activities.”
The campaign to boycott the regime’s presidential election is lead by the regime’s opposition group, the MEK/PMOI and its resistance units inside the country, to encourage the people to boycott this sham election.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK), recently reported that the resistance units and MEK supporters were still protesting for the boycott of the Iranian regime’s sham election.
Supporters of the MEK and the Resistance Units continued their protests against the clerical regime in various cities in Iran, especially in Tehran, posting banners and placards, writing graffiti, and distributing leaflets calling for a boycott of the mullahs’ sham presidential election.
The MEK said: “The activities took place in different areas of Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Karaj, Khorramabad, Neyshabur, Qom, Zahedan, Esfarayen, Nikshahr, and Chalus.”
Many of the slogans that were chanted, were greatly in support of the NCRI’s President-Elect, Maryam Rajavi, and her plan to take Iran to a better future after the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime. One such slogan was, “Maryam Rajavi: No to the rule of the mullahs, no to religious tyranny, no to oppression and plunder, yes to a democratically-elected republic,”
As the Iranian Resistance saidn, “With growing calls in Iran for boycotting the mullah regime’s sham presidential election in June 2021, Iranian expatriates and freedom-loving people in different countries across the globe supported the Iranian people’s desire for a free and democratic Iran.”
Across the world, many MEK and NCRI supporters got together and held rallies against the mullahs’ regime sham election. In Europe especially, many protesters condemned the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for his visit to some European countries, considering his role in the regime’s terrorism campaigns in recent years. They also demanded that all of the mullah regime’s agents based in several countries across Europe should be expelled from those countries.
According to the Iranian opposition, “In Paris, France, MEK and NCRI supporters chanted slogans against Ebrahim Raisi, the preferred candidate of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Ebrahim Raisi is one of the main culprits of the 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners.”
The slogans that were chanted during the French protests included: “Mullahs have blood on their hands. Our vote is regime change in Iran” and “Iran has not forgotten that [Raisi] is the butcher of the 1988 massacre.”
MEK and NCRI supporters held a rally against Zarif’s presence in Rome, Italy last week also. They, again, voiced their support of the Iranian people’s demand for regime change and were heard chanting: “Our vote is regime change in Iran.” A similar protest was held in Dublin, Ireland also.
According to the Iranian opposition “In Ottawa, Canada, MEK, and NCRI supporters on Tuesday held a rally and underscored their support of the nationwide boycott of the regime’s sham presidential election…They also expressed their support of the Iranian opposition leader, Mrs Maryam Rajavi.”
Protesters in London, United Kingdom also held a rally to support the boycott of the sham election, as did protesters in Vienna, Austria.
The Iranian Resistance asserted that “The MEK and NCRI supporters also play a significant role in the nationwide boycott of the regime’s election inside Iran. The MEK’s role in mobilizing the society has terrified the regime.”
