Friday, June 17, 2005
Iranian voters
A contrast in left and right? Would it not be interesting to know how these two women voted?On the one hand, the Iranian elections are a sham and should be denounced as such. They manifestly ignored the "basic requirements" for democracy, as President Bush has said, because only candidates who have been vetted by the mullahs may run for office. On the other hand, this has been a very dramatic and hotly contested election notwithstanding the disabling theocratic conditions. It seems to me that we must simultaneously denounce the election -- it is not legitimate and there should be no hint from the West that it is -- and encourage the Iranians to exercise their franchise to the fullest. First, there are among the various candidates undoubtedly differences in their expressed and unexpressed willingness and capacity to challenge the status quo from within the Iranian system, and Iranians should use their change to tilt the playing field in favor of reform, however slightly. Second, a taste of democracy will whet their appetite for more. Pariticipation is all for the best, as long as the West and its press do not fall for Tehran's risible claim that these elections are legitimate simply because they are contested.
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