Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized the government officials’ celebratory rhetoric concerning the recent elections, saying it was nothing but a failure.

“They have sidelined people and make excuses … It is even funnier when they refer to the elections as a ‘great victory,’” said Ahmadinejad in a video message released on Wednesday.

“When people are sidelined, it is a failure and there is no victory … [In this context] winning doesn’t mean anything,” stated Ahmadinejad who was barred twice from running in presidential elections in 2017 and 2021.

According to IRGC-affiliated Fars news website, only 40% of the eligible voters turned out in Iran’s parliamentary and the Assembly of Experts elections on March 1, the lowest in the history of the Islamic Republic. The event was boycotted by the large sections of the public.

Despite the unprecedentedly low turnout, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hailed the elections as "great and epic" on Tuesday, saying, “The Iranian nation did a jihad and fulfilled their social and civil duties.”

While the Iranian regime asserts that citizens are free to decide whether to participate in elections and that abstaining will not incur penalties, numerous reports suggest that the Islamic Republic closely monitors individuals’ voting records.

This process is particularly implemented for citizens holding a governmental position, such as teachers, university professors, and civil servants. Those who have to vote to keep their jobs express their discontent through invalid votes.