Tired of empty promises, no jobs, Kurdish voters apathetic in Iran

SANANDAJ, Iran — Arif Amini has cast a ballot in every single Iranian election since he turned 18, believing that elections are how to bring about change. But this year, with high inflation, joblessness, and poverty, he decided he will not vote, not even for his brother who is running for a seat on the city council. 

“The economic situation over the past few years has driven even the middle class into poverty. I was a school teacher for 30 years. Now my salary does not cover my life expenses so I am working as a taxi driver,” 58-year-old Amini, a retired teacher from Saqqez in northern Kurdistan province, told Rudaw English via Telegram.

“For years I have participated in elections in hope of change, however it gets worse every year,” Amini said. “One of my brothers is a candidate for Saqqez city council, however I have decided to not even vote for my brother.”

Iran’s presidential and city council elections will take place on June 18. Parliamentary elections in February 2020 saw an all-time low turnout of only 43 percent and turnout for the vote this week is expected to be even lower. Activists and civilians have launched a boycott campaign on social media that is attracting a lot of support, despite threats of prosecution.

“Those who violate the principles and encourage people to boycott elections will be dealt with through the law,” Chief of Police Sardar Hussein Ashtari said on May 28. 

The economy crumbled under outgoing President Hassan Rouhani after Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and began imposing harsh sanctions, and the global coronavirus pandemic hit. Rouhani was a reformist and people who believed that voting for him could fix some of Iran’s problems no longer hold the same hope. 

“I had participated in every presidential election and would always vote for the reformists. Last election I was an active member of Hassan Rouhani’s campaign center in Kurdistan province,” Omed Ahmadi*, a shop owner in Sanandaj in Kurdistan province, told Rudaw English.

“However, the promises that the reformists made all turned out to be lies,” he added. “The economy collapsed, the price of housing and goods increased ten times, and people lost all their savings.”

“I realized that elections will not change this terrible situation, in fact it will make it worse, and therefore I will not participate again,” Ahmadi said.

The Kurdish provinces in Iran’s west have always struggled with high unemployment, few job opportunities because a lack of investment, and a shortage of services. Electoral turnout in these areas is always lower than elsewhere in Iran. 

It is around 11 in the morning and a couple of general laborers are standing in the heat of the sun at Sanandaj’s Cyrus intersection. They have not had any luck finding work today. 

“We find work only around 10 days a month, and we work for 150,000 tomans (around $6) per day, which we can't really buy much with. Everything has gotten more expensive. It is hard to feed your family and yourself,” Pizhman Karimi, a 27-year-old married man, told Rudaw English.

“Those who are candidates for the presidency and the city councils at first promise everything, but as we have seen, none of it turns out to be true. They all work to fill their own pockets,” he said, using a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his neck.

Just 37 percent of Iranians intend to vote on Friday, according to a poll by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) and published by the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). Hardliner Ebrahim Raisi is tipped to win. 

Noshin Khani, 35, has been working at a boutique store in Sanandaj’s Banta mall for a few years. She is unmarried and frustrated by the current situation in Iran.

“The truth is in our society, no one has any hopes in marriage anymore. Because of the bad economic situation, no youth would give themselves such responsibility. And even those who are getting married, after a while their marriage fails due to lack of jobs,” Khani told Rudaw English.

“We have tried different elections. The candidates always promise better lives but it gets worse. I am a psychology graduate, but I have not found a job [in my field],” she said. “I am here working in this store for a 1.2 million tomans (around $50) so I wouldn’t be bored at home.”

Empty promises from candidates about women’s rights also anger her. 

“Every time, ahead of elections, the candidates talk about freedom and rights of women. However when the elections end, if a woman’s veil is slightly askew and her hair shows, or if she wears something short, the police come,” Khani said. “If that is the case, then not voting is so much better than having people’s feelings played with every time, giving them false hope without any action.”

There is some more enthusiasm for local city council elections than the presidential vote. 

“The city council elections are decentralized democracy and people should not be careless about it. I believe they should participate in this election because loyal and caring people enter that council. They can solve many problems,” 37-year-old activist Dler Qawami from Sanandaj told Rudaw English.

“I have personally worked with a few members of the city council for social and environmental activities, and they were helpful and supportive,” he said. “The elections are the only hope for us to believe in fixing the unstable situation. Therefore, unlike most people, I believe that we should not turn our backs on the polling stations, for they are the only way to raise our voices.”

* Names have been changed to protect the speaker's identity at their request. 

Translation by Dilan Sirwan

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