Elections In Iran

The BBC headlines election results in Iran as “a major boost to Islamic conservatives,” i.e., radicals. Early returns show that radical Islamist candidates are set to win 14 out of 15 council seats in the capital, Tehran. The catch, however, is that voter turnout was low, averaging 25% and as low as 15% in some areas, “indicating disillusionment with politics and the slow pace of change in the country.” In other words, most Iranians have given up on the choice between “hard-liners” and “reformers” and want a more drastic alternative, freedom.