June 25, 2024

 

The upcoming elections of the president in Iran, following the death of Ebrahim Raisi, has once again dominated the news and many pundits have written about the so-called elections, presidential candidates, and their perceived differences. So, it is worth to recap the power structure in Iran and the process of “electing” a president.

 

Iran is a theocracy with the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, holding the ultimate power over domestic and foreign matters, with the support of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The president of the regime serves at the behest of the supreme leader and is simply a figure head with no real power, who is hand-picked by the supreme leader and the unelected Guardian Council.

 

Therefore, elections in Iran are not free and fair and are simply a charade put out by the regime to display its version of “republic” and “democracy”.

 

The Iranian people have increasingly boycotted these elections and will do so again this election cycle. The events of the past two years have proven once again that this regime is not reformable and the only path forward for peace and stability in Iran and the region is the removal of the current despotic regime.

 

Minnesota Iranian-Americans will join their compatriots around the globe to declare their opposition to the entirety of the Islamic Republic by protesting at regime’s polling place in Minnesota on June 28.