Do Not Waste This Capital
Iranians expatriates’ participation in the political process is an opportunity which Iranian politicians should not overlook.
So sad to see Iranian citizens appear on overseas Iranian or foreign TV channels, insisting that they’re not opposition to the regime, only seeking the fate of their votes.
Since the results were announced by the Ministry of Interior, Iranian embassies witnessed peaceful demonstrations by people who wanted to show their dissatisfaction with the final outcome of presidential poll.
The city of Los Angeles, home to thousands of Iranian expatriates, has seen massive protest of Iranians, many of whom had never participated in Islamic Republic’s elections before June 12th. They had sensed a possibility of change and reform, but the result of elections has left them with the feeling of deception.
Reports point to gatherings in front of Iranian embassies in Netherlands, Belgium, Cyprus, New Zealand, France, Britain etc. in protest to the election results. The presidential election has found another image for the world with these protests.
For the first time in the thirty-year life of Islamic Republic, Iranians found the chance to know about the personal and political attitude of four candidates through TV debates. While the highest rate of participation was recorded for this election, results and Tehran’s post-election unrests brought a grimace to Iranian expatriates’ face.
Civil -and uncivil- protests of Iranians in several cities have become the headline of foreign media, many of which tend to exaggerate such events when it comes to Iran.
But what raises concerns most is the trust and hope which immigrant Iranians will lose in the effectiveness of participation. Taken part in the Iranian political process in one of their rare times, some of these Iranians have staged protest and are going to resort to international organizations.
Statistics on the votes of Iranians residing overseas were published two days ago and intensified the protests. The initial results of the tenth presidential elections read out from ballot boxes outside Iran and the difference between votes of two major candidates explains for the protests itself.
It seems that as much as the Islamic Republic cared for participation of expatriates, it should be concerned about their complaints. International organizations have cast doubt on the result of Iranian presidential elections and this can undermine the international legitimacy of the Iranian government. While Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration has suffered poor relations with the international community, continuation of the current trend can widen the gap between Iran and the world.
Political parties and people are the primary capital of republics and undermining this fundament will result in loss of international face. Heeding the protests of immigrant Iranians is an absolute necessity and the politicians should find the best way to realize the potential of Iranian citizens’ participation.