Dissent in Iranian Elections: Reasons and Implications

Abstract

Unelected institutions and individuals in Iran can counteract the initiatives of their elected counterparts, and President Muhammad Khatami's legislative efforts to change this situation failed. The Iranian public's reaction to this can be measured quantitatively by looking at falling voter participation figures and by the number of spoiled ballots. This article analyzes the implications of this reality for the regime's popularity and survival, and for the time in which the system could change.