Blame Iran’s Political System, not President Ahmadinejad

The media headlines are dominated by the results of Presidential elections in Iran. The international community (U.S. in particular) is concerned about manner in which democratic norms have been violated in Iran. The impression gathered by reading the mainstream Western media is that Ahmadinejad is a tyrant who has vilified Iran’s democracy to enforce his rule upon the people. Had Hossein Mousavi emerged victorious the Western world would have been jubilant over the change ushered by the people of Iran in free democratic elections. Had the supporters of Ahmadinejad protested against the victory of Mousavi, the U.S. media would have highlighted their lack of democratic spirit.
According to me there are few discrepancies in the way in which the western media is handling the Iran election issue. It needs to be realized that the POLITICAL SYSTEM in Iran is flawed and non-democratic; merely the victory of Ahmadinejad has not made it less democratic. Neither are the election officials nor the security forces overlooking the polling process in Iran are neutral or apolitical; they are appointed by the Supreme Leader and owe allegiance to him. This flawed election process existed before President Ahmadinejad came to power and would have not changed if Hossein Mousavi was elected the new President.

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