Iranian Election 2009

Re: Iranian Election Friday

Ahmadinejad's supporters kept making fun of Mousavi because he is not the best orator and always says "ciz" (literally, "thing") when he can't think of a proper word. So they gave him the nickname "ciz". Mousavi's supporters responded by calling Ahmadinejad "hic ciz" ("hic" meaning "without", but "hic ciz" is also the Persian word for "nothing").
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

It's a toughie. Most of my Iranian friends believe that Ahmadinejad has no chance. But one I talked to the other day said that was what they said last time... and then suddenly were shocked at how many actually voted for him, and how nobody realises how heterogenous the country really is.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

So, it's like the youth hates him, but the rural areas and the older people are all pro-nutjob.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

The intellectual youth hates him. People always forget that there's a big mass of uneducated young people in rural Iran. That's what I mean with heterogenity.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Ah, I see what you mean.  So that while Iran is a very young country, much of the youth is not educated enough to see past it?
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Per, in order to provide us some extra insight into the subject, would you or your friends tell us more about their hopes for other candidates?

I can hardly imagine that they say "anyone but Ahmadinejad is good for our country"?

Assuming they can vote, who do they (dare to) support?
And what do they like about the other candidate?
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Forostar said:
Assuming they can vote, who do they (dare to) support?
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I don't think it's so bad as that.  It's got legitimate elections, at least, fairly free ones.  Ahmadinejad is not a dictator.  He's a dick, but not a dictator.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Forostar said:
And what do they like about the other candidate?
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That he's not Ahmadinejad.

Seriously, that is it. One of my friends just calls Ahmadinejad "the idiot" (also because her last name is Ahmadi), and another one just calls him "the other guy" when talking about Mousavi.

They consider him a serious and intelligent man, a qualified and able politician, and a man who is polite and respectful - in every case the exact opposite of old Mahmud.

There's also no need to "dare" to support Mousavi. Mousavi was permitted by the Guardian Council to candidate for the office, so he is clean, in their opinion.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

LooseCannon said:
I don't think it's so bad as that.  It's got legitimate elections, at least, fairly free ones.  Ahmadinejad is not a dictator.  He's a dick, but not a dictator.
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I was under the impression that Iran imposed tight control over the people and in general was not all too eager to emphasize human rights and civil liberties?  How strict is Iran then?
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Invader said:
I was under the impression that Iran imposed tight control over the people and in general was not all too eager to emphasize human rights and civil liberties?  How strict is Iran then?
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It still considers itself a republic. Those who candidate for the presidential office are first assessed by the Guardian Council, but they can only be strict enough to not have the people revolt. Once they gave their OK, the presidential candidate is free to vote for.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Perun said:
It still considers itself a republic. Those who candidate for the presidential office are first assessed by the Guardian Council, but they can only be strict enough to not have the people revolt. Once they gave their OK, the presidential candidate is free to vote for.
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So how is this Guardian Council chosen?
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Partly by the parliament and partly by the Supreme Leader. The current Supreme Leader is Zayed Ali Khameni, who succeeded Ruhollah Khomeini. Yes, that's where democracy stops in Iran.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Perun said:
Partly by the parliament and partly by the Supreme Leader. The current Supreme Leader is Zayed Ali Khameni, who succeeded Ruhollah Khomeini. Yes, that's where democracy stops in Iran.
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Exactly. The Supreme Leader, that says it all:

More powerful than the president of Iran, the Leader appoints the heads of many powerful posts - the commanders of the armed forces, the director of the national radio and television network, the heads of the major religious foundations, the prayer leaders in city mosques, and the members of national security councils dealing with defence and foreign affairs. He also appoints the chief judge, the chief prosecutor, special tribunals and, with the help of the chief judge, the 12 jurists of the Guardian Council – the powerful body that decides both what bills may become law and who may run for president or parliament.

This friday there'll be democratic elections in a non-democratic country.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

Iran's government is really, really interesting.  But the people have some choice.  It's not a free or perfect choice, but it is far better than, say, Vietnam.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

The big difference between Iran and an ordinary dictature is that the great mass of the people is politicised.
 
Re: Iranian Election Friday

I just saw an item on Iran and the elections. So much youth are for the other candidate. And everyday they drag along more and more elderly people. They want more freedom, and they certainly seemed more intellectual than some people I saw waving and shouting with Ahmad-flags and photos. They said that their opponents "only want to lower their veils".

There was a huge convention in a stadium. Thousands of people gathered like they were going to see a Maiden concert. Instead they came to see and hear the candidate. They saw him but for "some reason" the sound installation didn't work, while it worked perfectly some week earlier. No audible speech but still a mighy enthousiastic crowd. Let's hope the best for them.
 
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