Iran Election: Heavy Defeat Awaiting Hardliners

Rooz spoke with Mohsen Armin, one of the leaders of the Sazman-e Mojahedin Engelab Eslami (Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization), about Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the presidential candidate endorsed by the political party in this Friday’s election. Read on for the details.

Rooz:  Mr. Armin, you are the spokesperson for one of the main parties endorsing Mousavi.  How do you evaluate your candidate’s current position?

Mohsen Armin:  Mr. Mousavi’s position is very positive.  The feeling of hope is completely palpable now following the arrival of a national wave of support for Mr. Mousavi in the past one or two weeks.  Especially for someone like me, who has traveled to various cities across the country, the new feeling is completely palpable.  Public opinion polls conducted recently by various organizations confirm this as well.

Rooz:  Some reformists hope for Mousavi to win the presidency in the first round.  Is that really possible?

Armin:  The growing support for Mr. Mousavi has given rise to such hopes.  If the growth continues as it has, that possibility is not far fetched.  If that happens, it would mean a heavy defeat for the hardliners.  In my opinion, the hardliners, even though they see signs of their defeat already, would use any tactic and tool to avoid a loss in the first round, since that would be deadly for them.

Rooz:  Are you not worried about vote rigging?

Armin:  Indeed we are; especially if the disparity in the number of votes is such that the outcome could be determined in the first round, in addition to state institutions that would exert pressure and influence on the results, certain powerful bodies would join in to at least avoid an embarrassing defeat in the first round.  I cannot have a clear prediction because I do not have a clear analysis of the scope of these pressures.  Certainly though, if the discrepancy in the number of votes continues to increase in the coming days, the results could perhaps be determined in the first round, rendering all possible violations and pressures useless.

Rooz:  Many believe that you have put all your eggs in one basket, given that Mr. Mousavi has not made any reformist demands and slogans.  Don’t you think you may regret your decision?

Armin:  I believe that there is an acceptable amount of overlap between Mr. Mousavi’s outlook and that of the reformist parties.  From this perspective I am not worried.  The issue is that we must know what our priorities are at present.  When our country is in such concerning conditions, toppling the incumbent administration is certainly the first priority.