Time has arrived to transform elections into referendum: Abbas Amir Entezam

Safa Haeri,(IPS):

In a letter published on the occasion of the Iranian New Year, one of Iran’s most respected and popular political dissident called Saturday 19 March 2005 on the Iranian people to transform the occasion of the forthcoming presidential elections into a national movement for referendum.

“To end the miserable situation of the country and to stop the cycle of reproducing poverty, repression and deceit, one has to seriously boycott the parody of elections and to transform the elections into referendum”, Mr. Abbas Amir Entezam urged Iranians.

The first post revolutionary Iran’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Amir Entezam is Iran’s, and probably one of the world’s longest political prisoner, as he was arrested upon his return from Sweden, where he was serving as Ambassador and jailed in 1979, accused of espionage for foreign power and intelligence services. READ MORE

He was kept in solitary confinement for years, tortured to near death, refused any visit, including by lawyers and family even though the Islamic Revolution tribunal could not prove any of the accusations against him.

In a letter wrote in 1995 to German lawmaker Renate Schmidt, Mr. Amir Entezam said: “I m just one of the millions of victims of the arrogant, tyrannical and uncivilized rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran. They don't dare try me publicly. For the past 16 years, against all laws, they have refused to give me a public trial because they know that I do not care if I die. And that for as long as I live, I will defend my fellow countrymen, who’s rights, as well as my own, have been violated”.

After 19 years of imprisonment, the defeated Judiciary eventually placed Mr. Amir Entezam under house arrest and offered him freedom, but he stubbornly refused the offer, insisting that he must be tried in an open court with the presence of Iranian and international jurists, lawyer and the press.

“Every Iranian must mobilise in order to achieve the National Charter that aims a free and democratic system via referendum”, Mr. Amir Entezam states, adding that “the only red line to this national aspiration is avoiding violence, destroying the order and people’s life, mostly the more weaker”.

An initiator of the idea of organising a nation-wide and referendum allowing the Iranians to choose freely their desired regime, Mr. Amir Entezam explains that “a national movement is formed of solidarity and cooperation between all Iranians and its success comes from a general participation and accepting responsibility”.

Floated years ago, the project, supported by most Iranian dissidents of all walks inside and outside the country gained an unprecedented popularity after major republican and monarchist forces joined hand and formulated a short charter published on Iranian internet websites based outside Iran.

The project soon rolled on, as it was supported or rejected by many Iranian political activists, intellectuals, scholars, students and journalists, expressing their views though the same media.

In one of their latest meeting held last week in Texas, United States, a group of Iranians said "referendum is the best way to establish democracy and secularism in Iran" and called on the Iranians, both inside and outside the country to "come out massively" in support of the project.

“One has to use as much as possible any and every possibilities and occasions like important public places such as universities, offices, workshops, factories etc to mobilise the maximum of the population and invite them to the battle ground, explain the project, debate it’s aim, meaning the right of the people to chose freely its own desired destiny by peaceful and non violent means”, Mr. Amir Entezam outlined.

Drawing a map road to the realisation of the popular, non violent movement, Mr. Amir Entezam suggests the following:

“The first step of this political-social, peaceful action is based on the active participation of the people in meetings, generalisation and popularisation of the discourse of national Alliance, making public popular demands and aspirations, its follow up by peaceful means. This action must be implemented in a way that it does not harm people’s daily and ordinary life”, he proposes, suggesting, for instance, that students, without interrupting classes, meet together a university campuses between noon to one o’clock every day to debate in a democratic way social, political and professional subjects”.

“Thanks to a wide and active participation of the people, the right to free expression, protests, demonstrations and meetings would be acquired naturally in the current of the process for equality of power and conditions and grounds for a referendum would be prepared in the field of action”, stressed Mr. Amir Entezam.

Providing a clear answer to questions raised mostly by foreign nations, diplomats, experts, analysts and political personalities that undermines the Iranian opposition pointing to the absence of a leader, Mr. Amir Entezam says “this social and political movement that, considering the very favourable conditions both domestic and international is in fact very strong, does not rely or depend on the factor of leader or organisation in the traditional translation or method” and explains:

“Every responsible Iranian, creative and active is a leader or part of the general leadership factor and this is the greatest national capital for uprooting the traditional habits of authoritarianism or to become foundered in the mercy of this or that individual. In case of necessity, the leadership would be elected democratically by the people in the process and current of a generalised and popular action”.

“Dear Countrymen, the time for taking important, courageous and destiny-making decisions has arrived. History is inviting us for the great examination of deciding our destiny; freeing the country from the octopus of poverty, corruption, prostitution, drug addiction, deception, despair, bowing and imploring foreigners. One has to give a proper answer to this appeal.

To end the miserable situation of the country and to stop the cycle of reproducing poverty, repression and deceit, one has to seriously boycott the parody of elections and at the same time seriously avoid surrendering fatalism and looking to others for solutions.

By boycotting the elections and by an active participation in the peaceful process of referendum, we can arrive to a democratic system. One has to transform the elections into referendum with our active participation. Our greatest capital in this national action is our youth as flag bearer and the active and hopeful support of all freedom lovers and those dedicated to the unabated development of Iran”, the indefatigable Amir Entezam concluded.

In a message to the Iranian people on the occasion of the nationalisation of Iranian oil industries on 19 March 1951, Mr. Amir Entezam expressed to hope to see the Iranian youth "taking the flag and in a peaceful way, make the new Iranian year of 1884 (2005-2006) into the year of the rule of democracy in Iran"

"The brave people of Iran can and must profit from this national and historical event (of nationalisatrion of oil) for a peaceful process and our wish is to see our vibrant and proud youth take the flag of this national movement to add the year of 1884 to the glorious one of 1354 (1951), he stated in his message.