As the regime intensifies its efforts to manipulate election results and manipulate public perception, concerns are growing over the potential for the elections to become a “referendum against the regime,” prompting warnings from officials about the looming possibility of another nationwide uprising.
Subsequently, the regime escalated its propaganda against the PMOI, identifying it as the main adversary. The Friday prayer leader of Qom, Mohammad Saeedi, dedicated an entire sermon on January 12 to caution against the PMOI’s methods of infiltrating and influencing the youth, emphasizing the enemies’ attempt to drive a wedge between the people and the ballot boxes.
Guardian Council member Ahmad Khatami highlighted Khamenei’s fear of electoral chaos on December 30, asserting that those instigating turmoil aim to use the March 1st elections as a means to undermine the regime’s democratic facade and push for a referendum against it.
In a meeting with faction leaders, President Ebrahim Raisi emphasized the necessity of unity among political parties, groups, and factions to preserve the regime. He acknowledged that the unrest of the past year spared no political entity within the regime, emphasizing the common enemy.
The state-run Etemad newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Elias Hazrati, stressed the urgency of unity against the PMOI, recalling the regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini’s response to past threats. Hazrati linked the diminishing popular participation since the uprisings of 2019 and 2022 to the significance of the upcoming 2024 elections, despite concerns and criticisms.
Despite an extensive propaganda campaign, former Speaker of the Assembly of Experts, Adel Haddad, pointed to shortcomings in information and cultural institutions, leading to biased judgments against the PMOI.
As the regime invests heavily in anti-PMOI literature and media, it becomes evident that Khamenei’s aim in engineering the elections is to “purify” the regime and consolidate power to address internal crises, primarily the threat of uprisings. However, desperate measures are unfolding, indicating the regime’s struggle to preserve its grip against the PMOI and potential uprisings.
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