DEMARCHE REQUEST - IRAN'S FLAWED ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 192971

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PLEASE PASS TO IRPO DUBAI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM IR
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST - IRAN'S FLAWED ELECTIONS

REF: RPO DUBAI 011

Classified By: NEA: James Jeffrey, PDAS


1. (U) This is an action request; see paragraph 3.


2. (C) Iran will hold elections on December 15 for three
institutions: the Assembly of Experts, local municipal
councils, and a handful of Majles by-elections. Vetting
procedures ensure that these institutions remain biased from
the outset toward individuals committed to Iran's Supreme
Leader (reftel).


3. (C) Action request: The Department requests addressee
posts deliver the points in paragraph 4 to senior host
country officials. Our objective is to coordinate public
statements about Iran's flawed elections process prior to
Iran's December 15 Election Day and to enhance our knowledge
of election activities on the ground.


4. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF TALKING POINTS:

-- The Iranian people deserve transparent and participatory
elections. This standard includes the freedom to choose
candidates from the spectrum of Iranian political views. It
means unrestricted access to a free media, freedom of
political association and assembly, freedom from intimidation
on election day, and non-interference from the military and
militia groups in the elections.

-- Iranians should know that the international community
supports their aspirations for a genuinely democratic system.
We hope that in your public and private messages, you will
highlight the profound flaws in the current system and press
the Iranian government to respect international standards for
transparent and participatory elections.

-- The United States will be watching these elections
closely, and we intend to respond to anticipated developments
during the campaign, such as the outcome of the vetting
process, as well as the election results themselves. Our
public statements will address the following areas of concern:

-- The Iranian people deserve to have candidates on the
ballot who have a sound plan to fix the dire economy, reduce
unemployment, and improve the overall quality of life for the
Iranian people. If the Iranian government were truly
committed to democracy, its citizens would be able to vote
for and against candidates of their choosing. Instead, the
unelected few that comprise the Council of Guardians has made
that decision for the citizens of Iran.

-- Although Iran's Assembly of Experts is elected, it is
unrepresentative in composition and accessibility. The
Guardian Council has restricted membership in the Assembly of
Experts to only those it deems to have met the definition of
senior cleric, thus disqualifying two-thirds of the
prospective candidates and making the entity undemocratic in
its nature. The Guardian Council ignored recent Iranian
calls to open up eligibility for the Assembly to women and
non-clerics, moves that would have made the body more
representative of the Iranian population.

-- Moreover, the circular nature of the Iranian system is

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fundamentally undemocratic: The Assembly chooses the Supreme
Leader, who chooses half of the members of the Guardian
Council, which in turn vets the candidates for the Assembly.

-- We are confident that the Iranian people would make a
positive choice for their future IF they had a free choice.
Instead, their choice of candidates has been artificially
restricted. The Iranian people deserve better.

-- We would appreciate any reporting that your diplomatic
missions in Iran would be able to share with us regarding
illegitimate election activities, including ballot stuffing,
voter intimidation, or harassment.

END TEXT OF TALKING POINTS.


5. (U) Washington appreciates posts' assistance. Please
caption replies SIPDIS and use the IR country tag.
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