As Iran’s regime prepares for its upcoming presidential elections to replace Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on 19 May 2024, regime officials and candidates are doing everything possible to compel citizens to vote and place their hopes in one of the six candidates. Through television shows, debates, and various publicity stunts, the regime is attempting to convince the populace that voting will solve their problems.
However, these efforts are not fooling the Iranian people. This early presidential election follows a parliamentary election in February, which saw a mass boycott and a record-low turnout of 8 percent, according to reports by the network of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI or MEK) inside Iran. The people have made it clear that they want regime change, not sham elections.
Reflecting this sentiment, the Resistance Units are active across the country, calling for a boycott of the elections and a rejection of the regime. Their message is unequivocal: “It is not time for elections—it is time for a revolution.”
In Zahedan, Resistance Units members displayed placards reading: “Maryam Rajavi is the symbol of resistance against the mullahs’ regime.” In Tehran, they installed posters of Maryam Rajavi with messages like “Our choice is Maryam Rajavi.” Similar activities took place in Sanandaj, Isfahan, Astara, Kermanshah, and Qaemshahr, all emphasizing resistance and revolution over elections.
The regime’s history has shown that elections hold no real meaning under its rule. The country is controlled by the unelected Supreme Leader and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Presidential candidates are vetted for their loyalty to the supreme leader and are complicit in the regime’s crimes. Consequently, millions of Iranians continue to suffer from poverty, unemployment, and a lack of basic freedoms while regime insiders live with impunity.
The Resistance Units’ actions across Iran echo the widespread desire for genuine change and an end to the mullahs’ oppressive rule.