Reformist Slams Lack of Diversity in Iran's Presidential Candidates

As Iran gears up for its presidential snap election, prominent reformist political activist Abbas Abdi has raised critical questions about the representation of candidates. 

Abdi argued in a piece for the Etemad newspaper that the current pool of 80 candidates fails to reflect the diversity of Iranian society.

"Let's put these 80 candidates in one frame and compare that with the framework of Iranian society; what will be the relationship between them?" Abdi challenges. 

He posits that in terms of appearance, clothing, political and cultural thoughts, lifestyle, ethnicity, religion, and approaches to solving national issues, these candidates represent no more than 30-35 percent of the population. 

"Definitely, the final qualified ones are much less representative. So where are the candidates for the rest of the people?" he asks.

The five-day candidate registration period concluded with an unusually high 80 accepted enrollments, which is expected to see significant narrowing. 

Many candidates are likely to withdraw due to disqualification or strategic alliances. 

Abdi notes, "As in 2021, all of them quickly got positions, or they are creating resumes for their unknown future."

The activist raises two critical points. First, he questions the sincerity of several candidates: "We cannot accept the assumption that all of them have honestly entered the field with the motivation of serving the people." 

He argues that serious contenders must have substantial scientific and management support backed by competent teams. 

"Each candidate must represent a party and a national organization to present a documented program and mobilize forces," he states.

Notably, no well-known reformist figures have emerged in this election cycle. 

Historically, most reformist candidates have been disqualified during the Guardian Council's vetting process. 

This pattern has led to growing skepticism about the electoral process.

Gholamhossein Karbaschi, another reformist figure, recently lamented that the presidential election, meant to be a symbol of democracy, "has turned into stand-up comedy."