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> Following the form does not make you “somewhat democratic,” In practice, there have been elected presidents that the religious element did not really like. They did not last, and were sabotaged at every turn, but they existed. Iran is a big country and it contains a number of different power-centres, unlike, for example, North Korea. > In addition, “the secular executive branch” comment is flat out wrong. Uh, no it isn't: >> the religious element can pre-emptively stop pesky candidates from running altogether Whether this is achieved by claiming they are unbelievers or corrupt, is irrelevant. Candidates can (and do) get purged before they get a chance, but the latter part of the process is fairly democratic (which is why occasionally the "wrong" candidates do win). One of the reasons for the increasingly low turnout in recent years is precisely that purges are getting more and more indiscriminate; Iranians are not all stupid, and won't engage when they think the process is meaningless. The "secular" qualifier is there because, in practice, that's what it is - a government that cares about economy, army, police, and administration. Demonising everything is a recipe for being ignored, you should try understanding other points of view when you're trying to persuade. |
You are absolutely incorrect[1]. There are no ifs and buts. They absolutely positively require the candidate to assert they'd abide by Islamic law--there is not even a pretense of secularism. Which Islamic Republic lobby group did you get your propaganda from? I lived there for 20 years.
If you think you know better, please cite a reference to your egregious claims. Even Khamenei himself does not make some of the claims you are making.
[1]: https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/content/iran_constitution