TEHRAN, 29 January 2004 — Iran’s main pro-democracy student group weighed into a bitter political stand-off yesterday, calling for a boycott of next month’s Parliament elections in protest over the mass disqualification of reformist candidates.
And dampening hopes that intense government wrangling with hardliners could pull the Islamic republic out of one of its worst-ever political crises, embattled President Mohammad Khatami cautioned it was too early to say if an acceptable solution could be found.
A statement from the Office to Consolidate Unity (OCU) — a coalition of pro-reform student groups — dealt a blow to the president when it said voters should stay at home on Feb. 20. “Noting the fact that people’s votes have no effect... and that there is no possibility for fair and free elections, there is no justification for people to participate in these elections,” the OCU said. Student activists, who last summer sparked a nationwide security alert when they led a series of anti-regime protests, represent one of the main driving forces behind the reform movement.
Their call for a boycott was seen as reflecting mounting frustration with the president, who has been widely criticized for being too weak in the face of more powerful conservatives.
It was the Guardians Council that plunged Iran into crisis two weeks ago when it announced it was blacklisting 3,605 of 8,157 prospective candidates who registered to contest the elections — a move that drew allegations of poll rigging. Those barred by the Guardians Council —included some 80 sitting MPs and prominent leaders of the reform movement.
The OCU also called on reformist deputies to keep up their sit-in at the Majlis building and press for the crucial elections to be postponed. A group of around 50 OCU activists have already joined the parliamentary sit-in.
“Just as they have stood up honestly until now and have sworn to defend the rights of people, they should also resist holding these elections,” the OCU said.
“The biggest mistake and failure of the reformists will be to give in and accept to have these elections.” The OCU said deputies should instead press for a referendum on the Islamic republic’s political future.
“The students ask for a referendum, which would provide a wise alternative to this political dead-end,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Khatami dampened hopes of a solution to the crisis. The president said his government was still locked in talks with the Guardians Council, and said he was still fending off resignations from some of his closest allies in the Cabinet, provinces and ministries.
