So what is it you want to do? Mock democracy or boycott the elections?

We are getting close to the presidential election in Iran. Many Iranians believe the elections in Iran should be boycotted as the participation in the elections gives implied legitimacy to the theocratic system - a system that the majority of Iranians are against. A few believe the people should participate so that they can choose the bad from a “choice between bad and worse“. A few others believe that participation in elections is a practice for democracy. To the latter few, one must say that participation in rigged and meaningless elections is actually a mockery of democracy as democracy is not simply about elections. Democracy is about being free and able to elect the person who is your choice. Even if that person is regarded by some others not fit enough to be a candidate. Going to the ballot box and putting a cross on a piece of paper does not necessarily mean you are democratic and believe in democracy as many of the regime supporters in Iran actually hate democracy and would vote once and for all, if given the opportunity, to abolish the elections and let the regime and its dictators decide who should be in what position. Anyone who believes there is democracy in Iran shows his/her lack of understanding about democracy or has a distorted understanding of it. To those who believe that by participation the best evil can be elected, one must point out that the man who comes out of the ballot boxes is not the man they vote for: he will be the man the regime appoints to the post.

If you have been slightly interested in Iranian politics and followed it in the last few years you can have a pretty accurate guess who will come out of the ballot boxes in June. If you guessed Ahmadinejad, you are right. Ahmadinejad has been successful or at least looks like has been successful in areas most important for the regime: the nuclear activities and not giving in to the Americans. The election of Obama and his policies also has strengthened Ahmadinejad to a great extent. Obama is wittingly or unwittingly helping Ahmadinejad so much that Ahmadinejad does not feel the need to do much for his election campaign. It is very clear to me that Ahmadinejad is the man that will come out of the ballot boxes in June.