Ahmadinejad Supporters Lose in Local Elections
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s party apparently lost some local elections.
The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, faced electoral embarrassment today after the apparent failure of his supporters to win control of key local councils and block the political comeback of his most powerful opponent. Early results from last Friday’s election suggested that his Sweet Scent of Service coalition had won just three out of 15 seats on the symbolically important Tehran city council, foiling Mr Ahmadinejad’s plan to oust the mayor and replace him with an ally.
The outcome appeared to be mirrored elsewhere, with councils throughout Iran returning a majority of reformists and moderate fundamentalists opposed to Mr Ahmadinejad.
Were Iran a democracy, this would be significant news indeed. Since the mullahs will continue to wield all meaningful political power, however, I will not get overly excited.
Incidentally, I’m sure “Sweet Scent of Service” is far wimpier sounding than its Persian original, although it is still a funny name for a political coalition.
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About James Joyner
* Even on foreign policy and national security, everybody always thinks that things were simpler in the past. * Iran is obviously not a democracy, but I was delighted nevertheless to see Ahmadinejad supporters lose some key local councils today. * Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, generally considered one of the more progressive voices on the Court, twice voted to uphold laws banning flag burning, even when though the court majority, in both instances,
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Iran Votes Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Boys Lose…
Heh, Apparently Iran’s Voters are none to happy with his abandonment of his platform t Mahmoud’s abandonment of his platform and puppet dance fot he Ayatollahs.The Guardian:The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, faced electoral embarrassment tod…
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Were Iran a democracy
Didn’t we just have a handy checklist for that? I suspect Iran scores favorably as against, say, Iraq.
(More seriously: if a majority of the people are satisfied with their authoritarian regime, what do we call that, exactly?)
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The thing in Iran is that the mullahs make public policy decisions and have for 27 years. It’s institutionalize in the way they operate.
And there’s not much evidence of which I’m aware that the Iranians are satisfied with the ayatollahs. Whenever they get a chance to vote, they go with the reformers. It just doesn’t matter.
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Well, I won’t be renouncing my U.S. citizenship to go live in the Iranian paradise anytime soon, taxes or no — let’s just put it that way.
But it’s pretty obvious that the mullahs aren’t going to retain their power indefinitely. The best thing that could happen for them would be a war with the U.S. or a Sunni rival … would the regime even still be around, were it not for the 1980s war with Iraq?
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Iranian Elections: Moderate Shift…
The only way to end the current deadlock in Iranian/US differences is by the shift of the reformers of moderation. Another dose of reality: James Joyner (outsidethebeltway) posts……
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