The USG Open Source Center translates articles from the Iranian press on disturbances in Shiraz and Isfahan. I conclude that the protests are not just in Tehran; I’d take the charges of ‘vandalism’ with a grain of salt, but some of the protesters might well be angry and attacking government buildings. A third piece alleges that the reformists have enough “documents” and “proof” of ballot fraud to make their case to the Guardianship Council.
Iranian TV Says ‘Hooligans’ Storm Buildings, Assault Police in Esfahan
Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Esfahan Provincial TV
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Document Type: OSC Translated Text
(Announcer) A group of adventurists stormed and damaged public buildings in Esfahan city, including banks, a cinema, a school and private shops, yesterday and today. The group broke windows in the buildings and assaulted police and people. These seditious people also stormed some state centres, broke glasses, damaged property, and burnt several vehicles. The provincial Friday Prayer Headquarters was one of the targets of the hooligans.
(Description of Source: Esfahan Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Esfahan Provincial TV in Persian – state-run provincial television)
Iranian Police Official Vows To Stop Disorders, ‘Vandalism’ in Shiraz
Unattributed report: “Fars Province police chief: Police will give no leeway to opportunists”
Aftab-e Yazd Online
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Document Type: OSC Translated Text
The police chief of the Fars Province Ali Mo’ayyedi commented yesterday on unrest and some of the problems that have taken place in Shiraz over the elections: “From today police will give no leeway to opportunist elements trying to provoke disorders during these demonstrations,” Fars agency reported. He told a press conference that “in the past two days, once vote counting was finished and there was a national celebration of the people in this social arena, various opportunist people sought to orchestrate moves to deprive citizens of their security. These people engaged in damaging activities such as destroying public property, university centres, libraries etc… and created an atmosphere of insecurity in the city and burned certain venues. With which language will these people justify their acts of vandalism? It makes no difference to these people who is president, because their intention is to create a poisoned and dark atmosphere in which to pursue their activities. One has to say, what they do is unjustifiable and unacceptable.”
He said these people had penetrated academic and university centres. “Opportunists entered the university through railings and the walls, like thieves, and burned academic centres. Their aim was to spoil for the people the sweetness of Iran’s lively elections,” he said. The Fars provincial police chief said “just as police worked to ensure citizens were happy during electoral campaigning, from today it will be sure to prevent any possible activity by people disrupting the peace.”
(Description of Source: Tehran Aftab-e Yazd Online in Persian — internet version of reformist daily published in Tehran and Yazd; affiliated with the leftist Militant Clerics Society (Majma’e Rowhaniyun-e Mobarez))
Reformists have ‘enough’ documents against Iran poll result – analyst
E’temad-e Melli Online
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Document Type: OSC Translated Text
Text of commentary by Mas’ud Soltanifar entitled “Strive for change” published in Iranian newspaper E’temad-e Melli on 15 June
All Iranians and foreign experts are unanimous about one fact: What happened on Friday, 22 Khordad (12 June) – participation of 39 million people in the (presidential) elections – was an extraordinary phenomenon. Considering the number of eligible voters, this was unprecedented and never happened in any other country during the last few years. It happened when analysts were talking about a deep gap between people and the government.
The motivation behind this is clear to everyone. However, by participating in the elections, those 39 million were trying to determine their fate legally. Therefore, we have to accept that the state system and nation were the actual winners of the referendum.
During the campaign, we witnessed a kind of political maturity and completely a civil behaviour of the candidates’ supporters. It barely ended in violence and conflict. What the security forces did in order to prepare the ground for such activities and to secure the atmosphere has to be praised.
However, it was expected that, on the last day (Saturday(13 June)), this mutual response between the supporters and the security forces would continue in the framework of civil laws that we would not witness violence and sad conflicts. The negative consequences target all of the nation and state system. In addition, we have to be aware that the current government is not going to abandon power so easily.
Therefore, a comprehensive planning with a profound vision is necessary today. And by considering the special characteristics of the youth, experienced personalities, new methods have to be employed based on their pattern of thinking. We have to act as experienced politicians who are not proud after a single victory and are not despaired after any (even imposed) result.
Young people may not remember: After the third Majlis – led by left wing (that today are called reformist) – due to wide disqualification of Majlis MPs and banning them from entering the elections scene, the forth Majlis went under the control of the right wing (conservatives). We still remember that many friends mentioned that the formation of the forth Majlis led to the death of left political wing and therefore, an onset of deviation in the Islamic Republic. However, with efforts of some politicians and professional left forces including proper planning, left wing succeeded in occupying eight seats in Tehran and they occupied 30 per cent of the Majlis seats all together. These individuals together with the Militant Clerics Society, Executives of Construction Party and some leftist political forces prepared grounds for the 2 Khordad (REFERENCE to reformists’ victory in 1997 presidential election) victory. Then again, we entered an era when two executive and legislative powers were under the control of reformists. Political science is the science of gaining power, controlling and expanding power.
In case of unity, cooperation, effort and social vision, generating another 2 Khordad is not something difficult. The truth is that considering the surveys by independent and experienced centres and the observations made at polling stations’, the poll analysts were confident that their candidate will win the elections or at least will run for the second round of elections. In their latest analysis, they had added 5 to 8 million people who had not voted in the previous elections but voted in this election – which would have changed the result in a different way
We will study these results later and in proper time. However, in our analyses and social pathological studies, we also have to pay attention to the fact that creating an atmosphere where more than 80 per cent of voters are inspired to participate in the elections will not be possible again soon.
The question is: What has to be done?
Firstly, in short term, to protest against the results, we have to employ legal and civil methods. We have to understand that by following a violent and illegal approach, we will be able to raise our voice to officials and will make the investigation organs to take an opposing stance. Apparently, for filing a complaint against the current result, the reformist candidates – in the presidential headquarters – have enough documents, witnesses and evidence acceptable to the court and they have to be correctly presented and investigated.
E’temad-e Melli, Tehran, in Persian, 15 Jun 09, p.1
(Description of Source: Tehran E’temad-e Melli Online in Persian — Reformist daily, organ of E’temad-e Melli Party or National Trust Party, associated with and managed by Hojjat ol-Eslam Mehdi Karrubi. Its online site Roozna wants to ‘serve as a vehicle’ to bring Iranians living inside and outside the country together by ‘strengthening the free circulation of information.’ URL: http://www.roozna.com)
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