EDITORIAL | Next Iranian President Needs to Win in a Free and Fair Election

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi recently died in a helicopter crash in Iran. After attending a ceremony marking the completion of a new dam, Raisi and his entourage were on the way to inspect another site. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others also died in the crash. Severe weather was blamed for the accident. 

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his "deep sorrow," adding to the messages of condolences pouring in from around the world. 

Risk of Greater Regional Unrest

At the moment in the Middle East, Israel and the fundamentalist group Hamas continue to battle in Gaza. Iran, a sponsor of Hamas, has also deepened its conflict with Israel. Indeed, in April it launched its first direct attack on that nation. 

Raisi's sudden death should not be allowed to further damage the already tense political climate in the region. Nations directly affected and the international community as a whole should remain vigilant. Other countries and forces must be prevented from taking provocative actions or seeking to profit from political instability. 

Raisi's Revolutionary Roots

Raisi aided the "first generation of the Iranian revolution," including Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who directed the revolution. That generation also included Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current supreme leader. Raisi was a virulently anti-American hardline conservative and considered a likely successor to Khamenei. 

In Iran, the president heads the government but the supreme leader has the power to make the final decisions on all aspects of national affairs. That being so, no change is expected in Iran's current hardline stance towards the United States and Europe, or its pro-China, pro-Russian lines. 

After Raisi's death, Mohammad Mokhber, who has taken over as interim president, spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Likewise, acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani spoke with senior officials at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Fair Election a Must to Avoid Domestic Unrest

Meanwhile, political conflict and social turmoil could possibly deepen on the domestic front. We urge Iran to conduct the presidential election scheduled for June 28 in a fair manner so that the Iranian people are not victimized. 

During the 2021 presidential election, the Guardian Council, taking its cue from the supreme leader, disqualified candidates from the reform and moderate factions. As a result, turnout at the polls dropped to the lowest level since the revolution. In fact, only 48.8% of qualified voters chose to vote. Critics lambasted the election as a farce. The powerholders should not repeat the same mistake this time.

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The Iranian economy is in shambles due to the sanctions imposed by the US related to Iran's nuclear development program. And in 2022 demonstrations erupted nationwide after the government ordered all Iranian women to wear hijab (scarves) to cover their hair. Raisi's government brutally cracked down on those demonstrations, killing more than 500 people, including children. 

The Iranian leadership has the responsibility to directly face public dissatisfaction and conduct a free and fair election.

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(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun