Iran Gov’t Quashes Chances Of Referendum
Following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s strong rejection of a possible referendum, the administration’s newspaper has warned of the perils of a plebiscite in Iran.
Following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s strong rejection of a possible referendum, the administration’s newspaper has warned of the perils of a plebiscite in Iran.
The government’s official daily, Iran, published a commentary about the calls for a referendum, insisting that "issues related to national security can be very sensitive, and depending on the specific circumstances of each country, holding referendums on these issues may lead to unpredictable and dangerous results."
Nationwide anti-regime protests since September and the resulting instability raised the issue of a referendum on the constitution, with the unspoken intent of limiting the powers of the Supreme Leader.
Amid the hijab controversy and hot debates among politicians, calls for putting contentious issues to a popular vote have been increasing in recent weeks, but the authorities are worried that the seemingly innocent and legal demand will further reveal the tyrannical nature of the regime, especially after pro-regime students recently confronted Supreme Leader Khamenei about it.
“No political system exposes its existence to re-voting,” read the article, adding, “this is basically a strange and unconventional issue that is proposed by some. Therefore, to expect the Islamic Republic to hold a referendum on its own existence and to ask the Iranian people about its continuation is a wrong and logically baseless issue.”
The paper claims that “the main adverse consequence of the referendum is the loss of public trust... because it may lead to unjust justification of decisions.” Among other negative consequences is “an aggravation of social divide... if the result of the referendum is not accepted by some groups for various reasons.” It can even “pave the way for rioters to enter the armed phase against the political system,” the article claimed.
The article also claimed that a referendum can have a negative impact on the country’s foreign relations and justify further international pressures against the regime. Another negative impact can be on the economy because a referendum implies “the instability of the political situation.”
Almost all the points that the article enumerated prove that the government newspaper already knows what the result of such a referendum would be.
The daily added that if the system is acceptable enough that the people trust it for holding a referendum, it means the legitimacy of the political system is recognized.
However, almost all dissident figures have called on international bodies to oversee a possible referendum because the regime has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted with the people’s vote as was the case in the 2009 presidential election, which led to about two years of regular anti-government protests.
Former regime insider and current opposition figure Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who was a presidential candidate in 2009 and has been under house arrest since 2011, as well as former president Hassan Rouhani and several others have called for a plebiscite over key issues, such as a new constitution, or the nuclear program.
At a meeting with the senior officials of his government, former lawmakers, journalists and politicians on April 5, Rouhani reiterated that the answer to people’s demands could be holding referendums as envisaged by the Constitution of the Islamic Republic.
Article 59 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, which was ironically approved by a referendum after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, stipulates that in extremely important economic, political, social, and cultural matters, the functions of the legislature may be exercised through direct recourse to popular vote by holding a national referendum. It must be approved by two-thirds of the members of parliament according to the Constitution.
Over 400 Iranian civil and political activists also issued a statement mid-April saying the only "violence-free and democratic" solution for transition from the Islamic Republic is holding a democratic referendum. The signatories, including many former officials of the regime, noted that the most important lesson of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement is the necessity of "organized efforts to demand justice, as well as the abolition of intimidation, privilege and discrimination."
A few days later, Iran’s ruler, Khamenei, dismissed the possibility of a referendum, saying that people are not capable of making decisions. During a meeting with a cherrypicked number of students on Tuesday, Khamenei questioned the viability of a referendum. He said: “Is it possible to hold a referendum on various issues in the country? Where in the world do they do this? Do all the people who have to participate in the referendum have the ability to analyze that issue?”
A video clip of a Basij student “confronting” Khamenei during his speech went viral, perhaps indicating that even some loyalists are discontented with the regime’s performance.
The article claimed that “There must be a popular consensus about holding a referendum. It must be proven that at least over 50 percent of the people demand a referendum on a specific issue.”
It did not elaborate on how people can make the regime hear their demand if there is no chance for a plebiscite.
The daily claimed, in familiar rhetoric, that “the foreign media have construed from Khamenei’s words that the Supreme Leader is against the referendum, and worse, that he is against the opinion of the people and does not consider them worthy to express an opinion. However, it must be said that Ayatollah Khamenei's answer is not related to the principle and philosophy of the referendum; rather, it is a management reminder.”
Khamenei’s rhetoric of comparing his regime with other countries is misleading because he and his loyalists have severely restricted most freedoms and manipulated elections, jailed opponents and critics and jailed or killed protesters.
Lists of celebrities targeted for not enforcing hijab laws were published by Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) media, Tasnim and Fars, the latest crackdown on famous names who have also been punished by bank account freezes, travel bans, pay cuts and communications shutdowns.
Some of those named include restaurants and cafes belonging to football legend Ali Daei, actress Bahareh Rahnama, actor Mohammad Golzar, footballer Karim Bagheri and football coach Alireza Mansourian, all in the capital Tehran.
Fars has run several campaigns against those refusing to wear the compulsory Islamic headscarf in restaurants and shopping centers in the past few months and urged the authorities to shut them down.
Tasnim also said Baccarat Lounge, a restaurant owned by the national soccer team coach Amir Ghalenoei has already been shut down because its staff did not abide by the hijab rules.
In its report, Tasnim claimed that “all citizens” appreciate and support authorities’ actions against infringers and that no exception was being made for celebrities who have become a legitimate and powerful voice for the protesters.
A few hours later, Tasnim reported that one of the capital’s newest shopping malls, Opal Mall, was shut down because its board of directors had ignored “repeated warnings” to prevent uncovered women from entering the mall.
A wave of Iranian sports and cinema celebrities have used their social media accounts to voice their support for the protests that began in mid-September following the death of a 22-year-old girl, Mahsa (Jina) Amini in the custody of morality police.
Amini was arrested for what the authorities deemed ‘inappropriate’ wearing of the hijab. Since then, the hijab rebellion has grown to levels too worrying for the religious and political establishment who consider defiance of the hijab equal to defiance of the regime itself.
Some outspoken celebrities including actress Taraneh Alidoosti and Katayoun Riahi were arrested or came under various pressures including foreign travel ban during the protests.
Riahi, 61, was the first among Iranian female artists to express her solidarity with the Mahsa Movement by sharing her photo without a veil on Instagram. “Iranian women are each other’s voices,” she said in her post.
The police said Monday that Riahi, who was put on trial in January for supporting the protests, and Pantea Bahram, who recently attended an event unveiled, have been indicted for hijab defiance.
Daei and other legendary soccer players including Mehdi Mahdavi-Kia, Karim Bagheri, Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh, and others who supported the protest movement have also been subjected to similar pressures.
In December authorities forced a Dubai-bound Mahan Airlines plane to land in its Kish Island to prevent Daei’s family from leaving the country. Daei is a hero for Iranians as he was an international soccer legend and the captain of the national team from 2000-2006 whose record of 109 international goals was broken only 2021 by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Many other artists and athletes, including popular Golab Adineh and Fatemeh Motamed-Aria have also refused to wear the hijab in public and published photos of themselves without the hijab on social media. The regime feels if they do not crack down on such defiance, it will create an unstoppable wave amongst society.
At the start of the month, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated the regime's stance on hijab, which became mandatory after the start of the regime in 1979. He said: “Discarding hijab is haram based on Sharia and also politically." His declaration was a clear signal to authorities that they need to do anything it takes to re-establish control over women and re-impose the hijab rules.