If you can vote, and have not, then vote. This is a day that will not be forgotten. This is 30 years after the Revolution--there will not be a new revolution, but there will be a NEW DAY!! Man Amrikaee koon nashoor hastam, vali man fekr mikonam emshab IRAN Norooz ast!! Mousavi omid barayee ayandeye behtar ast!! This is it. There has been no election since the Revolution as important as this. It makes a difference. There must be a shift and a change. Too many people have waited too long for this to be denied. Hope is here, the time in now, the WORLD is watching!!!
Voting Information in Iran--Here are the basics:
- The polls are open from 8 am to 6 pm--although I have heard that they may extend hours if the turnout merits. Friday is the weekend for them, so most are off work.
- You have to be 18 to vote.
- There are supposed to be at least six people working at each polling station. Voters cards are checked, and after their ballot is cast, the card is stamped to insure against voting twice. There are over 45,000 polling stations throughout the country.
- Candidates are allowed to have voting representatives at the polls to monitor.
- The Judiciary also gave Iran's General Inspection Organization, a government oversight body, the authorization to observe the election, despite opposition by incumbent Ahmadinejad. (Cited from NDI article HERE.
- Tehran is 8 1/2 hours ahead of Washington DC. So the polls close at 9:30 am--East Coast time. Ballots are paper and are supposed to be counted and certified within 24 hours.
- If a candidate reaches 50% in today's election they win outright, if not then there will be a runoff next Friday between the top two candidates. (Most seem to think there will be a runoff due to the four candidates making it difficult for one to reach 50%)
- It is highly likely that we will not know the result until late tonight or early tomorrow morning.
At this point most stories I am reading are reporting the election too close to call. The only development I have seen is that Mousavi has complained that some of his representatives have been denied the ability to observe at some polling stations. (See #4 above) This is a good sign--the Mousavi campaign had a strategy to observe polls and they are texting reports to each other to monitor the situation.
There is much contrast in Iran, and this election definitely shows that Iran is diverse in attitudes and politics. I found this picture this morning looking for news about the election:
I think it captures perfectly the contrast of attitudes perfectly. With Mousavi's campaign women have been expressing themselves more openly and huge rallies and demonstrations have shown the possibility for more freedoms--loosening dress codes, and more importantly being able to speak one's mind.
For more reading on contrasts, and what is at stake in this election see Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi's op-ed in the Washington Post yesterday.
I will be updating this diary as news come in. If you want to stay in touch--hit the + sign by the title to put this diary on your Hotlist. Hopefully there will be good news to report.
Where Do We Go From Here?
There comes a time when you have to decide which side you are on. Intelligent people hedge their bets, but sometimes circumstances call for them to bet outright. This in one of those times. If you are Iranian then vote, if you are American then get ready to support détente. If you are a citizen of somewhere else, then for the love of God support peace. Iran has experienced 30%+ inflation for the last few years. People can't afford to marry, they can't believe that their future might be better. This election in Iran has developed into a referendum on Conservative Rule, and the Conservative Mullahs have found that they can either defend Ahmadinejad or remain quiet. Similar to our election last fall this is an election for the subsidy of fear or an election that reaches for something new, something hopeful and something that affirms our common humanity. You must reach out for that flower of Iranian democracy and nurture it; do not be cynical, it can happen. If Ahmadinejad prevails, we still need to try to negotiate. It will, no doubt, be harder, but the stakes are too high and the US really does not have many good options or alternatives.
There is no way, given the internal politics of the US, that we can get out of Iraq or Afghanistan without the help of an unlikely ally like Iran. They are a necessary partner for any long-term peace in the Middle East. This election is more important than most people realize. If we withdraw from Iraq, and it dissolves into chaos, then Obama will not get a second term. If we truly want to get out of Afghanistan and to diminish the Taliban, then Iran MUST be part of the solution. Iran is a country and a people with a three-thousand year history--they must be our allies--not our adversaries.
Now, for those of you around this site who fear Iran out of support for Israel--read Trita Parsi, Iran is part of the solution. They are a non-Arab people who desire respect and a role in the region, and ultimately peace and INVESTMENT. They do not benefit from conflict. They want and need to support a solution that dials down conflict and that promotes resolution. They do not want anything more for the Palestinians than the Palestinians want for themselves. They are a partner for Turkey and for Israel to supply a viable future for moderate voices throughout the region. If they ditch Ahmadinejad, please recognize the pragmatism. A true solution is at hand. From time to time FATE allows us to draw a card from the deck--if this card turns up an ace do not squander it. Embrace it, play it, and help to bring peace to a region in desperate need.
Many people may think I am a wide-eyed idealist. Maybe I am. BUT, at the same time, maybe I recognize a chance when I see it. Maybe I recognize a time when the hardened views of the past may once again open up to simply nothing more than possibility. What do we have to lose--endless war for impossible peace? OR Maybe just the possibility that we are more alike than we care to acknowledge, and that, though difficult, it just might be worth it to work, and I mean WORK, to save a few lives with understanding and peace instead. Its too easy to hate, its too easy too fear. DO the hard thing, and extend some trust--even though you think it might be risky.
UPDATE #1 8:00 am Eastern US Time
It is being reported that polls will stay open a two hours later due to the heavy turnout. This is a key factor--turnout is widely regarded to favor the challenger Mousavi. We're on way!! Thanks for the rec list, hopefully we'll keep this up all day.
UPDATE #2 10:30 am Eastern Time
Here's some video footage. All reports so far seem to point to a higher turnout than '97 or '01. We're on our way!! It's happening. We're going to see 80% turnout--some think 40 Million out of 46 Million eligible, which would be 86%.
UPDATE #3 2:00 pm Eastern Time (US)
THE POLLS ARE STILL OPEN!!! Check this set of reports from Gaurdian UK. There remains little doubt that there was a record turnout today. The big question will be--did Mousavi get 50%? Everything I have seen and read indicates that this will be one of those historic days in a nation with a very long history already. It is going to be a good night. ALSO--if we drop off the REC list, make sure you hotlist this diary, I will be updating until the wee hours tonight. To hotlist just hit the + sign by the title.
What a great day!!
UPDATE #4 3:15 pm Eastern Time (US)
Mousavi is claiming victory!! He's a calm and reserved man, if that is what he is doing he knows they have won!! I'm off to watch the tube.
I can't believe it!! They are saying 65% of the vote!! Party Time. They did it. I'm taking a victory lap now--it feels so good to be right.
UPDATE #5 3:45 pm Eastern Time (US)
Hold on--the official news in Iran is claiming Ahmadinejad--it could be a late night after all--stay tuned, this could get messy.
UPDATE #6 6:45 pm Eastern Time (US)
At this point there will not be an official result until tomorrow--possibly early in the AM for us here in the US. However, they are still counting and Ahmadinejad is still ahead. I hold on to some hope, but right now it does not look too good. It is logical to think that the city polls stayed open longest and they will be the last to report. Hopefully Mousavi really hammered him in the cities. I will monitor this lightly for the rest of the evening, but I doubt any major development will come. Thanks to all who contributed such useful comments here today--its been a great ride. We'll see what happens tomorrow, and I'm reminding myself that "things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out."
UPDATE #7 6:00 am Eastern Time 6/13
At this point the strangest thing is that there is so little to report. It is now 2:30 in the afternoon in Tehran, and there are no accounts of Mousavi speaking, and Official Iranian News reports election results with Ahmadinejad capturing 67% to Mousavi's 32%. BBC news posted THIS, which describes Mousavi's campaign HQ as guarded by police, but no new information. Al Jazeera has a similar article describing reports of Ahmadinejad's win and Mousavi's claims of fraud. You can read it HERE. There have been rumors of Mousavi's arrest (highly doubtful), rumors of Mousavi trying to meet with Khamenei (more likely) but surprisingly little information coming out so far. It is possible that Mousavi is being prevented from speaking as this Reuters report implies, PLEASE READ. There are scattered reports of minimal protests being broken up, but not from any major source, nor do they appear to be in any way substantial. Today will likely be a day spent waiting.