Iran’s Parliamentary Elections: A Saga of Apathy as Less Than 8% Participate

The participation of less than eight percent of Iranian citizens over the age of 18 in the second stage of the regime’s parliamentary elections in major cities like Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, and Mashhad, coupled with reports that half of the votes cast in these cities were invalid, has once again highlighted the regime’s legitimacy crisis. This crisis has raised concerns even among the regime’s state-run media.

In recent months, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the regime, has repeatedly called for maximum participation in the elections, stating things like “Whoever accepts the Islamic Republic should come to the polls.”

Now, analysts of the regime have interpreted the refusal of more than 92 percent of Iranians to participate as a severe blow to the regime’s social base, even among the population and employees of government institutions.

On May 11, the state-run website Farhikhtegan reported: “Unofficial numbers indicate an 8% participation rate in Tehran. Elected parliament representatives head to Baharestan with a significant low number of votes. In the first round, the top five candidates in Tehran received votes equivalent to the 31st to 40th candidates in previous elections.”

The website further added: “In addition to the overall decrease in participation in the 12th Parliament elections, there has been a significant drop in participation from groups that have historically been actively involved in elections.

“This decline in participation rates should sound alarms, and officials and executive bodies should investigate the causes and work to address the dissatisfaction and apathy resulting from this decline.”

Jamaran News also reported on May 10: “According to statistics, the number of votes counted so far is 552,644, compared to 1,569,857 votes in the first round, indicating a decrease in participation.”

While Ahmad Vahidi, the regime’s Minister of the Interior, stated at the conclusion of the second stage of parliamentary elections that “the people created a saga,” Azari Jahormi, the former Minister of Communications, retorted: “By ‘saga,’ the Minister of the Interior means the non-participation of 92% of Tehran’s population.”

The state-run daily Hammihan, in an article titled “The Eight Percent Saga” on May 12, discussed the regime’s defeat in the elections:

“The significant decrease in participation in parliamentary elections is not only related to the exclusion of other political groups but should also be viewed as a detailed examination of the various reasons behind people’s discontent with elections and the voting process.”

Masoud Pirhadi, the editor of Resalat newspaper, expressed concern about the regime’s defeat in the parliamentary elections:

“Given that we had a 25% participation rate in the first round, the catastrophic drop in participation like we saw on Friday was not unforeseeable. I choose to use words like ‘catastrophe,’ ‘crisis,’ and ‘humiliation’ to underscore the severity of the situation and urge action.”

He added: “Let’s assume that all those who voted in Tehran were obliged to do so. This statement highlights the critical situation even more! It means that more than 90% of Tehran residents do not care about their civic duties, despite media campaigns and advice from elders. This is more than alarming; it indicates a longstanding problem that has been ignored for too long.”

Naser Imani, a political analyst aligned with the regime’s principlists, stressed that “beyond the composition of representatives, attention should be given to the low participation rate,” criticizing the regime’s officials for suppressing dissent and purging political opponents.

Mahmoud Sadeghi, a former MP aligned with the regime’s so-called reformist faction, wrote: “How did we go from the saga of May 23, 1997 (Presidential election) with 80% participation to the saga of May 10, 2024, with a participation rate of 7%?”

At the same time, Ahmad Alirezabaigi, the representative of Tabriz and Azarshahr in the parliament, told Hammihan newspaper: “People felt that there would be no change through the elections, so they chose not to participate.”

Hossein Alaei, the former commander of the IRGC Navy, also told the Jamaran site: “The decrease in people’s participation in the elections indicates that most people do not support the current policies. Someone who enters parliament with the support of only eight percent of the population does not represent the majority.”

Given the Ministry of Interior’s failure to confirm the state media’s reports on the level of participation in the second round of the 12th Parliament elections, Khamenei, who previously would thank the people for their participation hours after the polls opened, has remained silent for 48 hours, a notable departure from past practices.