what a waste!

(at June 16, 2005 01:44 PM)

Great, thanks :)

(at June 16, 2005 02:04 PM)

i wont vote but thanks for that i will go to cardiff to rise my voice againts I.R

(at June 16, 2005 04:06 PM)

As an Iranian citizen, you are afforded a right and a privilege. This privilege is the right to vote. With this right, you as a citizen are able to determine how your national government operates. This is a privilege that should not be taken lightly. You need to actively use your right to vote every opportunity you have. By doing this, you become an active member of your society, you become a partaker in governmental affairs, and most importantly you make a difference. With the right to vote, you are able to do more than just complain.
In my opinion everyone who is eligible should care enough to spend a few minutes to elect whom they believe should help run this government. If you don't vote, you need never complain that your elected officials don't act according to your needs, because it is your fault that elected official came into office. Your votes have power. They have the power to change your daily lives. You need to use that power to continually make a difference in your communities, your life, and your nation.

(at June 16, 2005 05:28 PM)

I agree with Amir, not voting is not going to help anyone. Like many other countries, we have to chose between the bad and the worse, so let's not let the worst come to power and bring the country to where it was 8 years ago. I also don't agree with IR and I would love to see a democratic governmnet but i don't think boycotting the election will get us there, so don't kid yourself.

(at June 16, 2005 07:18 PM)

Dear Amir, what you said sounds very nice and correct in some places of the world. To me it sounds like inviting the Taliban to establish a democratic government in Afghanistan. In other words, corrupted regimes like ours, live and sustain themselves only and only on corruption and oppression.

Be Omide Irani Azad

(at June 17, 2005 10:59 AM)

Dear Unity,

exactly the opposite. Boycotte works in 'some' places in the world where basic civic principles are respected, not in Iran. We still need to "work" to get those basics, not to sit back and chill out. I do not see a single practical benefit in boycotting the elections. All said is just "wishes" and "theories", nothing practical. Enlighten me if you think boycotting would do ANYTHING, even if you have heard about a positive story somewhere else in the world.

Even in Europe, people didn't like the draft of the constitution, but they didn't boycotte the referendum, they voted, and said NO, very clearly.

I wonder why nobody tried to organise another way of boycotting, i.e. voting but writing something like "democracy" on the ballot papers. That would be counted as "Araye batele", but if 80% of the votes become "bateleh" then that would reflect very well in the news.

(at June 17, 2005 01:38 PM)

Dear Unity and my other friends,

It is so obvious that elections are the foundation of a democracy. The success of elections, however, lies in people's participation. It is the voters who are all powerful as they can decide who will govern them. Voting is an important right granted by the Constitution and exercising one's franchise is the duty of every voter. If you do not exercise this right due to sheer apathy, then you have no privilege any longer to complain. However, this has resulted in a steady deterioration in the quality of elected representatives and consequently our democracy.

Rampant corruption, criminalisation and use of money and muscle power in politics are all symptoms of a non-participant and apathetic citizenry. Only you have the power to change this scenario. Elections are the time to do so.

I explained earlier, as citizens of Iran it is our duty to vote. Democracy only exists if the people want it to exist. If voter turnout keeps dropping, democracy is gone. The constitution would become worthless. Most everyone complains about certain aspects of government. It is our duty to change it. If we do not vote how can we elect a president who will represent our ideas? Politicians cannot give us what we want if they do not know what we want. If only our representatives represent half of the population is it really even a democracy? Those who are fed up with politicians have the worst excuse. If they do not like it why not try to change it? And those who do not believe their vote would make a difference… Imagine if all of them did vote. It could change a whole lot. They would actually be represented in their national governments. That is a great concept that could make Iran one step forward to the democracy it is supposed to be.

(at June 17, 2005 04:10 PM)