Tuesday February 16, 2016

I've Been Thinking:

Ten days from now, on February 26th, elections for the Iranian parliament and for the even more important Guardian Council will be held.

In a new move, Iran's reformers and moderates are merging to create a united list called "The Alliance of Reformers and Government Supporters." This group combines those who want reforms with Rouhani supporters - which explains the rather unusual choice of name.

The group is, of course, running against much more radical candidates and parties. Their hope is that by uniting they will succeed.

This election is seen as a referendum for or against Rouhani and his moderate stance - including the now infamous nuclear deal with the West. The most significant reason for Rouhani winning the previous election and becoming president of Iran is that the parties on the right of Iran's political spectrum split their vote. There are many more conservative hard liners parties than rightist parties in Iran, and during the last election the moderates were able to unite around Rouhani.

There are 290 seats in the parliament. 12,000 candidates were originally hoping to run but that number is now down to a mere 6,200 which includes 586 women.

The reformers are hoping that they will draw the young vote. 60% of Iran is under the age of 30.

If the hardliners remain divided and if the youth come out to vote for the moderates, there is a strong chance that Rouhaini and his cohorts might actually take over the Iranian Parliament and if that happens it could be an electoral earthquake.

Imagine Iran with a parliament that supports Rouhani and his moderate outlook.

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