“Free elections are fundamental to democracy and human rights and they show the free will of the people to choose a government. This does not exist in Iran,” said Abdullah Mohtadi, the leader of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat). Mohtadi spoke in a panel organized by Rudaw’s research center on Wednesday.
Mohtadi explained the opposition among the Iranian public was unlike anything he had seen before in the last 42 years, since the Iranian revolution overthrew the Pahlavi Dynasty and replaced it with the Islamic Republic, ruled by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
“I have not seen, for the past 42 years, people publically saying they will not participate in the elections as much as they are doing so this time,” Mohtadi noted.
“I see a great political separation. I see a great rebellion by the people against the government this time; this is the difference,” explained Mohtadi, adding that Kurds should again lead the boycott of the election.
Mohtadi said the reason for boycotting the elections by the Iranian people, and “especially the Kurdish nation” is because a democratic election “doesn’t exist in Iran.” Moreover, the problems of Kurds are more “deep-rooted in problems with the republic of Iran, lack of rights, discrimination, violating the rights of Kurds and other ethnicities in Iran.”
Iran faces an upcoming June 18 presidential election to select a replacement for Hassan Rouhani, as well as city council elections.
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.
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“We, Kurds, should not go to casting ballots and prepare ourselves for incidents after the elections that need unity and cooperation, and the close association of the opposition groups in Iran, as well as Kurds among themselves. We have to all become one force,” Mustafa Hijri, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) said during Wednesday’s panel.
Hijri added the candidates “in the so-called elections are in fact chosen by the regime, they have nothing to do with the people and the people’s demands, and their rights.”
The party leader stated if any of the candidates chosen by the regime are elected, the “same politics” of the regime will continue in Iran.
The KDPI is a Kurdish party which has waged an on-and-off armed war against the Iranian government since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It is based in the Kurdistan Region.
Mohtadi also agreed that the Iranian public in general is backing away from elections, because they have come to the conclusion that “this regime can no longer fulfill their needs and demands, and they can no longer deceive people with their lies.”
Omer Ilkhanizadeh, the leader of the Toilers of Kurdistan Party, thinks Iran is in a reform deadlock, even if the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal is revived.
Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and began a “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions in a bid to force Tehran to make a new deal that would also address its ballistic missile program and regional activities. The deal is formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Iran is in a place that can’t undergo an economic or industrial reform with or without Borjam (JCPOA), it is unable to do that,” said Ilkhanizadeh, “Today the Kurdish speech has become public speech in Iran.”
Ilkhanizade added the boycott for Kurds is “an issue of nationality rights.”
“Kurds are following their rights. Why did they not vote for the constitution 42 years ago and tell the Islamic republic ‘no’? This is because the rights of the Kurdish nation have not been provided for,” Ilkhanizadeh said.
Khalid Azizi, Secretary General of Iran’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP-Iran), not to be confused with the KDPI, said Iran “has lost its legitimacy” and “what is important in my perspective is what happens after the elections, and the reason is after more than 40 years in the past a variety of elections have been held, each election has had its victims.”
