Tehran (dpa) – The parliamentary elections held Friday in Iran are unlikely to change the country's policies or the lives of its citizens, and this is reflected in a widespread lack of interest. In the absence of major reformist parties, the main choice is between the competing conservative factions that support Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad respectively. Many of the 48 million eligible voters were not even aware of the issues that divide the two parties. The election date was also inconvenient, as it fell shortly before the Persian New Year on March 21 – a time when Iranians are busy cleaning and shopping. “I don't even know 30 of the (more than 3,000) candidates, nor do I know what one side would do differently from the other,” said Mahin, 38, who runs a sandwich shop in northern Tehran and does not intend to vote. “I have to work and then clean the house. My husband is doing the shopping also has no time to vote.” It is not expected that the elections will in any way change the current political landscape in Iran, where parliament has no say over policies such as military threats against Israel or the country's nuclear standoff with the West. Nor can the 290-member parliament exert influence over Iran's critical economic situation in the wake of the imposition of international sanctions. Key policy decisions are taken by Ayatollah Khamenei and his advisors. Not even the Iranian opposition questions the country's nuclear program. The elections are “a de facto a power struggle between the old guard and Ahmadinejad's new political generation, as well as a preparation for the presidential elections in 2013,” a political scientist in Tehran said. The first-generation conservatives, called Principalists due to their loyalty to the system, are hoping that a clear victory in the parliamentary elections will push their candidate Ali Larijani ahead of Ahmadinejad's new guard. However, this conflict over the future political landscape has failed to capture the imagination of many eligible voters. “Who am I supposed to vote for? I am against both,” said Ali, a Tehran taxi driver. The 42-year-old believes neither side can do anything about Iran's high inflation rate, which because of the ongoing international sanctions has led to a devaluation of the Iranian currency, the rial. “They both want the nuclear program, so what can be done?” Ali's wife asked. “Anyway, I'm not going to let the happy New Year mood be ruined by politics.” However, observers believe that the elections do have a degree of relevance for Ahmadinejad's regime. “It is the first test for Ahmadinejad since the elections three years ago. Even a low turnout would be a warning signal for him,” an Iranian journalist said. There were accusations of mass voter fraud during the disputed re-election of Ahmadinejad in June 2009 – another reason for the lack of enthusiasm for Friday's elections. The president's economic reforms have done little for Iran's lower and middle classes, who have been the first victims of the high inflation rate, Ahmadinejad's conservative critics say. They further claim that Ahmadinejad is looking to question Islam as the basis for Iran's political system. In some clerical circles, he is even being described as a dissident who is no longer in favor of the mullahs. Ahmadinejad has denied such accusations. But he has also stood demonstratively behind the so-called dissidents. Iran's former president, the reformist Mohammad Khatami is standing in the elections, but he is not expected to poll well. More radical reformists are boycotting the elections. Key leaders Mehdi Karrubi and Mir Hossein Musavi have been under house arrest for the past year. The remainder are either in prison or have turned their backs on politics. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/zoA86 Tags: Elections, Iranians, New Year, Vote Section: Features, Iran, Latest News
