Study Shows A Majority Of Iranians Want A Change In Governance

The findings of a research conducted by an Iranian government body indicate that "a majority of Iranians want a new system of governance in Iran."

Moderate news website Aftab News on February 24 quoted a report from the January issue of "National Security Monitor" magazine which also said: "A small percentage of Iranians believe in harsh treatment of bad-hijab women.”

It is not clear who conducted the opinion survey or when, but the interesting aspect of what has appeared in the media is that it was conducted by some kind of government outlet.

The research also concluded that the government's interference in social and cultural matters such as women's dress code and lifestyle will increase people’s distrust in the government.

Meanwhile, like many other assessments about the implications of the Iranian protests during the past months, the research concluded that the death in custody of the young woman Mahsa Amini in mid-September was simply a trigger for the protests and long-standing grievances were the main reason for the unrest that still continues.

Based on the findings of the research, people's dissatisfaction and their disappointment with the government has made it necessary to bring about essential reforms to end the protest movement.

According to the findings, although a majority of Iranians want a new system of governance, this does not necessarily mean that they simply want a change of the presidential administration.

Despair and disillusionment in the Iranian society are not exclusively about the way authorities run the economy or manipulate elections, but they are also about unfair treatment of people in occupational environments that hinder their progress at work.

The study suggested that the government should follow democratic reforms after mending its broken relationship with the people by paying respect to their wisdom and courage and not attributing the protests to foreign governments or delaying to meet the people's demands as protests recede.

The Netherlands-based Gamaan institute conducted an online survey in December 2022, with tens of thousands of respondents from Iran and abroad. The study revealed very similar attitudes between those in the country and abroad. “In response to the question “Islamic Republic: Yes or No?” 81% of respondents inside the country responded “No” to the Islamic Republic, 15% responded “Yes,” and 4% were not sure. Of the Iranian respondents abroad, 99% responded “No,” opting against the Islamic Republic,” GAMAAN reported.

In a follow-up question for those who answered “No”, the survey asked about their preferred democratic and secular alternative political system. Of those, 28% inside Iran and 32% outside Iran would prefer a presidential republic, 12% inside Iran and 29% outside Iran would prefer a parliamentary republic, and 22% inside Iran and 25% outside Iran would prefer a constitutional monarchy.

According to the National Security Monitor magazine, experts among the government's supporters and critics equally believed that the protests took place against a backdrop of systematic injustice, unfair treatment of the elites and intellectuals, widespread wrongdoing at various levels of governance, and violating the freedoms of citizens and their dignity by the government.

Meanwhile, the study suggested democratic reforms that would lead to boosting people's participation in elections and facilitating online communication with the people. The study said that some Iranian officials' hardline stances about censoring the Internet, social media and works of literature and art showed that not only they do not believe in people's rights, but they judge a majority of Iranians as immature individuals who would easily be influenced by foreigners' propaganda. Such a treatment will ruin the remnants of the regime's credibility and legitimacy, the study warned.