What is the issue in Iran over the 2009 election? Well depending on whom you ask this question varies. If you ask President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the election was not fixed. Although, if you ask Mir-Hossein Mousavi, and all of the demonstrators the election was fixed. Many of those who oppose Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claim he to be a radical, who oppresses the people of Iran. While his opponent in the election Mir- Hossein Mousavi is considered to be that of liberal, to those in Iran.
“ According to the official election results, the incumbent president Ahmadinejad won the election by a margin of 63 percent to 34 percent for his main competitor, Mir Hossein Mousavi. This is a difference of approximately 11.4 million votes. Any claim of victory for Mousavi must therefore contain some logically coherent story of how at least 5.65 million votes (one half of the 11.3 million margin) might have been stolen.” (Weisbrot. 2009)
This quote from Mark Weisbrot of the Washington Post is telling in if the election was fixed, that it would very apparent if it were. In my understanding Ahmadinejad won the election of almost 30 percent of the votes. That is a pretty lopsided election. Claiming that 5 million votes were “stolen” is a very drastic statement to make. You would think that if all of these votes were stolen that it would be obvious to the world, and that the person responsible would be punished.
Though the statistics show that the possibility of the election being stolen, not being very plausible. What about those on Mousavi’s side? Who were in the streets of Iran demonstrating, many of them whom were arrested. Some even being injured and killed in the demonstrations. Some Mousavi’s supports will go ahead and compare Ahmadinejad regime as a dictatorship.
“People are tired of dictatorship," she told Reuters. "People are tired of not having freedom of expression, of high inflation, and adventurism in foreign relations. That is why they wanted to change Ahmadinejad." (Black, Dehghan, Siddique. 2009)
According to this the demonstrators and people of Iran are tired of Ahmadinejad’s oppression of their rights. The main issue in the election is Ahmadinejad’s regime who is considered to be a dictator, and oppressor. Then, there is the side of Mousavi’s who are considered the reformists. Who are being persecutated, and not being giving freedom of expression.
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That is a big margin of victory in the election. What evidence is there of vote fraud? Have you found any credible evidence that would support Mousavi's claims, or explain why he protesting the election (it would seem more understandable if the outcome was closer). If it really was 5 million votes that got "stolen" that would indeed be a case of grand larceny.
ReplyDeleteKeep digging to see what you can find on this.