Taher Shir Mohammadi – Deutsche Welle – February 28, 2012
Major political parties and groups affiliated with Kurdish, Baluchi, and Turkish ethnic minorities boycotted Iran’s ninth parliamentary elections. Some Turkmen political groups operating abroad joined this boycott as well. The Turkmen of Iran, who have traditionally voted for reformist candidates, are expected to participate minimally in this election.
According to Youssef Azizi Bani-Torof, a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, Iranian Arabs were among the first to boycott the elections. They protested for their national and ethnic rights and against the "unfree and unjust elections" of the parliament.
What Do the Turkmen of Iran Say?
Dr. Abdulrahman Dieji, a Turkmen political analyst and professor at Trakya University in Turkey, spoke to Deutsche Welle about the Turkmen and the elections. He stated:
"Boycotting elections in Turkmen Sahra cannot become a widespread approach without institutions, groups, or individuals capable of guiding and leading the Turkmen in political decision-making. At present, Turkmen Sahra lacks the political and security conditions for such consensus. Therefore, it cannot be definitively stated that the elections are being boycotted. However, Turkmen Sahra’s intellectuals and elites, who have always supported reformist movements and are considered left-leaning, welcome the boycotts."
 |
| Dr. Abdulrahman Dieji |
According to Dieji, the parliamentary elections in Turkmen Sahra lead to intra-Turkmen tribal rivalries on one hand and to competition between Turkmen and non-Turkmen as well as Sunni and Shia groups on the other. This narrows the scope to local and ethnic goals, overshadowing broader national aspirations that could benefit all citizens.
Intellectuals and Elites Boycott the Elections
Dieji concludes that Turkmen intellectuals and elites will undoubtedly boycott the elections. However, the impact of this boycott on the general population across various cities in Turkmen Sahra will vary. The lack of unity among the Turkmen makes it impossible to expect a unified stance.
In analyzing Turkmen issues, Dieji emphasizes the need to consider the region's ethnic fabric and its challenges. He explains:
"As an ethnic and religious minority, the Turkmen are excluded from key governmental positions. As members of Iran’s Sunni community, they have never had the right to serve as governors or ministers. Therefore, they have always strived not to lose their parliamentary seat, which at least provides a platform to voice regional issues, assuming there are ears willing to listen. This makes parliamentary elections the sole focus of their attention, often overshadowing larger aspirations."
Bitter Experience of Parliamentary Elections for the Turkmen
Dieji highlights the “bitter experience of injustice” during the eighth parliamentary elections, where some candidates from Turkmen Sahra, despite winning, were denied entry to parliament.
He elaborates:
"Dr. Abdolnasser Izadi from the Aq Qala-Gorgan constituency was one of two elected candidates in the eighth term, receiving the highest votes. Even the Ministry of Interior confirmed his victory. However, the Guardian Council annulled his parliamentary seat, causing disillusionment among Turkmen in Aq Qala. In Bandar Turkmen, Hakim Firoozi, a Turkmen candidate, was replaced with a close associate of Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran’s former foreign minister, through vote manipulation."
Turkmen Participation Will Be Limited
Dieji reminds us that Turkmen have consistently supported reformists in several presidential elections, voting for candidates like Moein and Khatami. In the last presidential elections, the majority of Turkmen voted for Mousavi and Karroubi:
"But like other Iranian citizens, they witnessed what happened to their votes and favored candidates."
Dieji concludes that, given this history, the Turkmen are not optimistic about the parliamentary elections. He emphasizes:
"Even if we don’t claim that a widespread boycott will take shape in Turkmen Sahra, it can be confidently said that voter turnout will be significantly lower compared to previous terms."
Iranian Arabs: The First to Boycott Elections
Youssef Azizi Bani-Torof, secretary of the Campaign Against Racism in Iran, believes that Iranian Arabs were the first among non-Persian ethnicities to take a stance, opting to boycott the elections. Some even faced casualties for their stance.
 |
| Yousef Azizi Bani-Torof |
Referring to protests in Arab-populated cities aimed at encouraging and urging people to boycott the ninth parliamentary elections, Bani-Torof states:
"On January 13 and 14, 2012, protests began in the Arab-majority city of Shush and later spread to Hamidiyeh and Ahvaz. Protesters demanded a boycott of the elections and the realization of their national and ethnic rights."
Following these protests in Arab-majority cities, Human Rights Watch urged Iranian authorities to investigate the deaths of some detainees in security detention centers. The organization reported the deaths of two detainees, Mohammad Kaabi (34) and Nasser Al-Bushoukeh Derafshan (19).
Arab Political Parties Boycott the Elections
Bani-Torof explains the stance of Arab-affiliated political parties:
"Some parties advocating independence rejected the elections outright, while others supporting federalism boycotted the elections."
He adds that the "Ahvaz Democratic Solidarity Party" and the "Group of Civil Society Activists in Ahvaz", which advocate Arab rights within the framework of Iran, issued statements boycotting the elections.
Youssef Azizi Bani-Torof concludes that, given the current conditions in Arab-populated regions of Iran, Arabs will not participate in the elections.
Edit: Bahman Mehrdad