Iranian elections and what you think about it.

[proIsrael-nonIsraeli]

FYI.

Correspondents say the violence is the worst seen in Tehran in a decade.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Ahmadinejad re-election sparks Iran clashes

[TripolySunni]

This was expected as well, Moussawi's people Against Police...

[MaKhassak]

Originally Posted by Ana3arabi!

So how exactly is Pasdaran involved in electoral fraud? Do you even know what Pasdaran's job is? Also, that wasn't the impression I had from Mr. Moussavi's attitude towards elections before they began.... And also, Mr. Moussavi himself is not against Imam Khamenei........

the pasadran's job is to protect the regime in place, why were they put on alert in Tehran the day before the elections if the regime didnt know that people might react violently to the scam called the presidential elections?

Iran has lost today any last shred of its so-called democracy.
Also Moussavi declared that he won after the elections just like any candidate could do, however in the case of najad the official news agency declared that he won giving the exact percentage of votes he received before all the polling stations were closed.

[Ana3arabi!]

Pasdaran defends the nation's security, and does not take sides. Any thuggish attacks against the winner -- incumbent or not -- is dealt with appropriately. Moussavi has shown his true face, that he is not for democracy unless he wins, like the americans , who are not for democracy unless their favorites all over the world, win. IMO this is a big blow to the so-called reformists' image and the next time there are elections, they will lose not only by 60-30 percentage, but by 90-10 if not more. :)

[Ana3arabi!]

CNN: Angry crowds in Tehran break into shops, tear down signs and start fires

Wow, way to go. :) Very civilized, I must say!!! :) I wonder if the same would've happened if the Conservatives had lost. Ah, but we already know that. The answer is NO. :) Who is more civilized than whom ?

[MaKhassak]

Originally Posted by Ana3arabi!

Pasdaran defends the nation's security, and does not take sides. Any thuggish attacks against the winner -- incumbent or not -- is dealt with appropriately. Moussavi has shown his true face, that he is not for democracy unless he wins, like the americans , who are not for democracy unless their favorites all over the world, win. IMO this is a big blow to the so-called reformists' image and the next time there are elections, they will lose not only by 60-30 percentage, but by 90-10 if not more. :)

pasdaran are called the guard of the revolution and considered to be the elite force of the mullahs and they dont take sides? what a joke

[Learned]

Originally Posted by Positive Balance

Economically, Iran is heading towards a cliff. They have a fund into which oil revenues are supposed to go, the Oil Stabilization Fund. The idea is that when oil prices are high, excess revenues go into the fund, so that when oil prices drop the funds can be used to overcome the sudden loss in government revenues. The problem is that in the past few years, oil prices were extremely high and public spending in Iran also rose extremely fast, primarily because of Ahmadinejad's populism. How will he continue to pay for all this profligate spending now that the primary source of revenue has gone? (The difficulty with which a very minor reform of the insane fuel subsidies was accomplished in 2007/2008 can give you a hint.) This is a huge problem waiting to happen, even if it has been covered up by the emphasis of Iranian government officials on the nuclear issue.

As for the Iranian economy doing better than most Arab states, I don't know about 'better', but the same mistakes are being made everywhere in the region. At least Iran has a highly educated population, relative free social mobility, and decent infrastructure, at least in the urban centers. It's a shame that economic populism is ruining all the great gifts the country possesses.

You are, of course, absolutely correct. Ahmadinejad's economic policies have been short-sighted, stubborn, and at times downright careless. Personally, I believe that Mohsen Rezai was the most qualified candidate, especially in terms of economic issues. He seems like an intelligent, competent individual, having studied Mechanical Engineering, holding a PhD in economics, and his military credentials are also worth mentioning, having been a Chief commander of the Revolutionary Guards corpse for 16 years. Unfortunately, he had a very weak showing in the polls.

[Learned]

Originally Posted by MaKhassak

Ana3arabi and learned, what happened in Iran was a selection and not an election, one of the news agencies declared najad the winner with 65% of the votes before the polling stations were even closed.

A majority of iranians want reform, but you obviously care much more about how much money iran is sending you, than how good or bad this man is for his own country and people

On the first count: Both sides claimed victory before the polls closed, and the final results weren't announced until the next morning in Iran. The Iranian media was consistantly updating results as the votes were being tallied. None of the news agencies gave a verdict on the polls before they closed - that simply isn't true. The only preliminary statistics that were mentioned were projections of the outcome based on exit polling. But as for the actual results, they were updating all night as the ballots were being tallied.

On the second: Apparently, from the poll results in this and previous elections, the support between reformists and conservatives in Iran is split about half/half in Iran's major cities, but in less dense urban areas, and in rural areas, conservatives are overwhelmingly popular. On aggregate, about 2/3 of the country is supportive of conservatives, and one third prefer reformists. So it isn't true that "a majority of Iranians" support reformists.

As for your charge about my personal preferences, I don't and never have supported Ahmadinejad. However, I don't have a slanted perception of things as you do, my views are sculpted by reference to reality and facts - not by prejudice based on personal like and dislike. Here's a fact for you: the position of President in Iran is relatively powerless when it comes to shaping foreign policy, and the President has no say in who gets what kind of support when it comes to strategic matters. If you understood this, you would realize that regardless of who won, whether Musavi or Ahmadinejad, it wouldn't make a difference in that regard.

In any case, I find it highly unlikely that you would know anything about how good or bad either candidate potentially was for their own country and people, because your rhetoric and attitude towards Iran is reflective of an individual whose views are shaped by slanted Western media characterization of Iran's politics and people.

[punkgirlie16]

Originally Posted by Ana3arabi!

What is not over? Pres. Ahmadinejad won, and he did not just win, he won a landslide. :) 63% of the vote. There wasn't even the need for 2nd round unlike previous times. :)

i better had say it has not even started. no, its nut about being thuggish or civilzed, and its not about a bad loser. those people are not fighting for musavi. the will tear him down as they will tear down ahmadi nejad, if they have their way, and i hope they will.

this, my friends, and not that mini-putsch an 7th of may, this is what revolution looks like if its day has come, and i am not so sure that it hasnt today.

you can, if you will, be satisfied that it will, if the day has come, spill over to europe and america too.

[Learned]

Originally Posted by punkgirlie16

i better had say it has not even started. no, its nut about being thuggish or civilzed, and its not about a bad loser. those people are not fighting for musavi. the will tear him down as they will tear down ahmadi nejad, if they have their way, and i hope they will.

this, my friends, and not that mini-putsch an 7th of may, this is what revolution looks like if its day has come, and i am not so sure that it hasnt today.

you can, if you will, be satisfied that it will, if the day has come, spill over to europe and america too.

LOL. Where did you hear this? I have relatives living in tehran, and the "revolution" is nothing more than a bunch of bache sosouls yelling in the streets and burning tires. Haha. I'll remind you tomorrow when your "revolution" turns out to be a bunch of kids disturbing the peace.

For over a decade, we have been hearing that a revolution in Iran is eminent from Western media. And its all bull and wishful thinking propagated by a narrow minority concentrated in Tehran's upper-class neighborhoods that refuses to come to terms with the popularity of conservatives in Iran. The reformists do not represent anything close to the overall popular will of the people, even among Iran's youth, and not even all of the reformists would back a revolution. Many would stand against it.