Tuesday
Jun022009
Iranian Election Outcome Still Uncertain
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at 5:22PM
By Courtney Costello-Talk Radio News Service
With the tenth Iranian Presidential election less than two weeks away, conversation is heating up as to whether sitting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will win a second term.
“No incumbent has ever lost a re-election campaign, but Ahmadinejad is indeed in real trouble.”, said Robin Wright, a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Ahmadinejad’s opponents in the presidential race include: former Iranian Prime Minister, Mir-Hossein Mousavi; former Speaker of the Parliament, Mehdi Karroubi and former Revolutionary Guard, Mohsen Rezaii.
According to recent polls Mousavi has the most support with a three to four percent lead in ten major Iranian cities, where seventy percent of Iran’s population lives.
Karim Sadjadpour, an associate at the Carnegie Endownment for International Peace said, “These elections in Iran are unfree, they’re unfair, [and] they’re unpredictable.”
Women are expected to have a large impact in the coming election, possibly due to a strong presence of Iranian women's rights activism.
“Women voters are increasingly voting independently. Women were a major factor in the election of Khatami and supporting the reformists,” Wright said.
On predictions for the forthcoming election, Sadjadpour said: “Judging by the last 30 years it usually takes 2 presidential terms for Iran to correct itself...So things may have to get worse before they get better.”
With the tenth Iranian Presidential election less than two weeks away, conversation is heating up as to whether sitting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will win a second term.
“No incumbent has ever lost a re-election campaign, but Ahmadinejad is indeed in real trouble.”, said Robin Wright, a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Ahmadinejad’s opponents in the presidential race include: former Iranian Prime Minister, Mir-Hossein Mousavi; former Speaker of the Parliament, Mehdi Karroubi and former Revolutionary Guard, Mohsen Rezaii.
According to recent polls Mousavi has the most support with a three to four percent lead in ten major Iranian cities, where seventy percent of Iran’s population lives.
Karim Sadjadpour, an associate at the Carnegie Endownment for International Peace said, “These elections in Iran are unfree, they’re unfair, [and] they’re unpredictable.”
Women are expected to have a large impact in the coming election, possibly due to a strong presence of Iranian women's rights activism.
“Women voters are increasingly voting independently. Women were a major factor in the election of Khatami and supporting the reformists,” Wright said.
On predictions for the forthcoming election, Sadjadpour said: “Judging by the last 30 years it usually takes 2 presidential terms for Iran to correct itself...So things may have to get worse before they get better.”
Reader Comments (6)
What BS women in Iran have been able to vote since 1963
Ms. Costello is obviously CLUELESS about women's voting rights in Iran. Women have had the vote for over 50 years! Seems like the usual stereotyping. It's only Iranians, so just say whatever negative nonsense you want...
[...] « Iranian Election Outcome Still Uncertain [...]
Women in Iran have had the vote since the 60s
Apparently the factchecking budget can't even afford an internet search.
Thank you for your comments. The appropriate changes have been made.
Thank you for pointing out the misleading text. Appropriate changes have been made.