Maximum Participation, Minimum Reception
Post-election developments will straitjacket Ahmadinejad’s administration in foreign diplomacy.
The thirtieth anniversary of the Islamic Republic was celebrated in Ahmadinejad’s administration. The Islamic Revolution is no longer the frail establishment it used to be and is starting to bear its fruit. The age of thirty means the emergence of a new generation and the Islamic Revolution gave birth to this new generation with no delay.
The tenth presidential election was the first political event after the revolution entered the fourth decade. The new generation of revolution took part in the elections and called for a new discourse. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the symbol of this new discourse that has proponents in different layers of society, particularly among the lower class. However, Mir Hosein Musavi, from the 1979 revolutionary generation of Ayatollah Khomeini, has also brought with himself a new discourse. He has with himself missed elements which would revive the Islamic Republic based on spirituality and modernity.
The result of presidential poll turned in favor of Ahmadinejad nevertheless and world is awaiting the termination of protests to resume relations with Iran. Although some world leaders have stated that they are waiting for the true result of elections and the outcome of people’s demonstrations, it could not be denied that the world predicted Ahmadinejad to be re-elected, and in some way favored it as the better option.
In fact, after the foreign powers lost their influence over Iran’s affairs since the Islamic Revolution, and after their attempts to overthrow the Islamic establishment via a proxy war led by Iraq failed, Iran has held the course of international relations in its own hands and has decided when to expand or limit relations with East and West.
The first presidential term of Ahmadinejad was a period of isolation and international sanctions. The underground resources helped the government to weather the crisis in this period. By many believe that the second term of Ahmadinejad will bring harder times for the government and people.
Casting doubt on the result of the tenth presidential election, calling it illegitimate by some Western leaders and questioning Iran’s quasi-democratic system has made reestablishment of ties with the world and solution of Iran’s international crises even more difficult.
It was assumed that Ahmadinejad’s sweeping victory would facilitate reconciliation between Iran and the United States, but the international community paid little attention to the %85 turnout of the Iranian voters and preferred to criticize Iran’s style of democracy. The spread of popular demonstrations has reinforced their stance.
Barack Obama has expressed his concern over the violent response of the Iranian government to protests. His Department of State has remarked that it is still trying to find out if a fraud has occurred in Iran’s presidential elections. The department’s spokesman has said that U.S. officials have doubts about the result of Iranian presidential poll.
Obama’s administration is sharing thoughts with other countries, especially the European Union members, on Iran’s domestic developments. EU officials, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Mon, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, foreign ministers of 27 EU members, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and many other world leaders have cast doubt on Iranian elections. Their provocative remarks caused the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon European ambassadors to protest the stance taken by their subject countries.
In his latest remark on Iran’s domestic developments, the U.S. president Barack Obama said: The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion. Obama’s explicit remarks show that West is going to use the current atmosphere as leverage against Iran to put it under more international pressures. With reports released by international human rights groups, United States and the European Union will have more room for maneuver against Iran, standing firmer on their demands.
Although the Iranian government has put restrictions on the activities of foreign journalists to prevent the circulation of footages on the protest in the media, the reactions of West show that they have already found the leverage to pressurize Iran in future negotiations.
We should wait and see if the tenth administration will once again resort to its underground resources to advance its diplomatic goals or prefers to continue the game in proxy zones of Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. This government possesses the minimums in both domestic and foreign domain; a weak point tat will certainly be taken advantage of by China, Russia and West.
The tenth presidential election was the first political event after the revolution entered the fourth decade. The new generation of revolution took part in the elections and called for a new discourse. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the symbol of this new discourse that has proponents in different layers of society, particularly among the lower class. However, Mir Hosein Musavi, from the 1979 revolutionary generation of Ayatollah Khomeini, has also brought with himself a new discourse. He has with himself missed elements which would revive the Islamic Republic based on spirituality and modernity.
The result of presidential poll turned in favor of Ahmadinejad nevertheless and world is awaiting the termination of protests to resume relations with Iran. Although some world leaders have stated that they are waiting for the true result of elections and the outcome of people’s demonstrations, it could not be denied that the world predicted Ahmadinejad to be re-elected, and in some way favored it as the better option.
In fact, after the foreign powers lost their influence over Iran’s affairs since the Islamic Revolution, and after their attempts to overthrow the Islamic establishment via a proxy war led by Iraq failed, Iran has held the course of international relations in its own hands and has decided when to expand or limit relations with East and West.
The first presidential term of Ahmadinejad was a period of isolation and international sanctions. The underground resources helped the government to weather the crisis in this period. By many believe that the second term of Ahmadinejad will bring harder times for the government and people.
Casting doubt on the result of the tenth presidential election, calling it illegitimate by some Western leaders and questioning Iran’s quasi-democratic system has made reestablishment of ties with the world and solution of Iran’s international crises even more difficult.
It was assumed that Ahmadinejad’s sweeping victory would facilitate reconciliation between Iran and the United States, but the international community paid little attention to the %85 turnout of the Iranian voters and preferred to criticize Iran’s style of democracy. The spread of popular demonstrations has reinforced their stance.
Barack Obama has expressed his concern over the violent response of the Iranian government to protests. His Department of State has remarked that it is still trying to find out if a fraud has occurred in Iran’s presidential elections. The department’s spokesman has said that U.S. officials have doubts about the result of Iranian presidential poll.
Obama’s administration is sharing thoughts with other countries, especially the European Union members, on Iran’s domestic developments. EU officials, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Mon, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, foreign ministers of 27 EU members, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and many other world leaders have cast doubt on Iranian elections. Their provocative remarks caused the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon European ambassadors to protest the stance taken by their subject countries.
In his latest remark on Iran’s domestic developments, the U.S. president Barack Obama said: The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion. Obama’s explicit remarks show that West is going to use the current atmosphere as leverage against Iran to put it under more international pressures. With reports released by international human rights groups, United States and the European Union will have more room for maneuver against Iran, standing firmer on their demands.
Although the Iranian government has put restrictions on the activities of foreign journalists to prevent the circulation of footages on the protest in the media, the reactions of West show that they have already found the leverage to pressurize Iran in future negotiations.
We should wait and see if the tenth administration will once again resort to its underground resources to advance its diplomatic goals or prefers to continue the game in proxy zones of Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. This government possesses the minimums in both domestic and foreign domain; a weak point tat will certainly be taken advantage of by China, Russia and West.