Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, January 29, 2023
 |
| Yunes Shameli, Political commentator |
Political commentator Yunes Shameli discussed recent rivalries and maneuvers among Iranian opposition forces to gain political hegemony in an interview with Voice of America.
Yunes Shameli believes that the campaign launched by supporters of Reza Pahlavi to portray him as the representative of the Iranian people in the international community may lead to a closer relationship between the democratic forces in the opposition.
“There is a vacuum in Iran’s political arena. That is, there are no serious, authorized parties in the center or on the periphery, and there is a gap in political hegemony. This situation naturally gives political movements the ability to maneuver and the opportunity to position themselves. Reza Pahlavi and his supporters have found an opportunity to maneuver in this vacuum,” says Shameli.
On December 31 of the previous year, some well-known Iranian opposition figures living abroad, including Reza Pahlavi, political activist Hamid Ismailian, former football player Ali Karimi, actresses Golshifteh Farahani and Nazanin Boniadi, and dissident journalist Masih Alinejad, shared a joint text on Twitter, declaring 2023 as the "year of freedom and justice for Iran."
Yunes Shameli states that the competition for political leadership among the opposition forces gained momentum after the sharing of that text:
“This issue started with a few people tweeting and was taken as an initiative by individuals to gain political leadership. We know that the central media (Persian-language media) is actively promoting Reza Pahlavi and his family. Now this mandate campaign is the second phase of that initiative. That is, prominent individuals and footballers said, ‘I give my mandate to Reza Pahlavi.’ The idea is to give him the role of representing the ongoing protests or revolution in Iran.”
Political activists from Iran's non-Persian communities, such as Turks, Arabs, Kurds, Baluchis, Lors, and Turkmens, as well as republican, leftist, and feminist forces, criticize the opposition’s initiatives to take political leadership. They argue that these initiatives are harmful to the struggle against the Islamic Republic.
However, Yunes Shameli states that initiatives like the "mandate" campaign have led to closer ties among the democratic forces in the opposition.
“Before this mandate issue, there were efforts for political tendencies from the right to the left to come together. But, this mandate campaign by Reza Pahlavi and his supporters brought democratic segments closer together. That is, republicans, the forces of non-Persian peoples, and even other groups, including the People's Mojahedin, have come closer together... Therefore, I view the recent events positively, as they have brought democratic currents in the center and periphery closer together.”
Shameli draws attention to potential alliances among the opposition forces, stating that alliances and the formation of different political blocs within the Iranian opposition should be based on the desired political alternatives for Iran’s future.
“Today, the alliances being formed should be based on the desired political system or political alternative for the future... There are three alternatives for Iran's future in terms of form: monarchy, republic, and federal republic. But in terms of content and substance, there are two alternatives: a centralized system and a non-centralized system. Therefore, the forces wanting to overthrow the Iranian regime must be divided into two blocs. One group wants a centralized political system, while the other group wants a non-centralized system. They should come together and play a role in overthrowing the Iranian regime. These two blocs can unite at times through tactical alliances and achieve certain goals. However, being together as one would be a grave mistake and could lead to major errors and even raise doubts in society,” adds Yunes Shameli.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Yunus Şamili: Müxaliflər arasında ittifaqlar İranın gələcəyi üçün arzulanan siyasi alternativlər əsasında qurulmalıdır