World
Visions


Iran and the need for
international election monitors
massive show of democratic stirring by a
show of force and by cutting off means of
By Rene Wadlow
communication — web sites and cellphones.
However, the fact that hundreds of

thousands came out on the avenues of
Tehran and in less numbers in other cities
Dear Friends,
indicates a failure of the repressive policies.

Even if large protests do not continue, a
Since the protests concerning the contested
‘wind of change’ has blown over Iran.
elections in Iran continue and have become

'front page news', the call of citizens of the

world for permanent UN election monitors
The Iranian government had declined the
is timely. Thus I would be glad if you could
offers of international monitoring of the
share it with others. With best wishes,
elections, and thus the world community is
~ Rene Wadlow
left with only the word of the Iranian
government that the election process was
free and fair. The wide victory of President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — 62.6 percent
against some 34 percent for his main
challenger, Mir Hussein Moussavi, goes
against earlier opinion polls and an
increasing popularity of Moussavi in the late
stages of the election campaign. Mir
Hussein Moussavi had been Prime Minister

The post-election demonstrations in Iran
during the long and costly-in-life war with
which have led to deaths and arrests indicate
Iraq (1980-1988).
that a large number of Iranians believe that
After four years of President Ahmadinejad’s
the election count has been the result of
weak economic policies as well as his
fraud. The regime had hoped to prevent a
confrontation with many other countries,
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