NDI today deplored the actions by Moldovan authorities that led to the cancellation by the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) of a mission to observe the July 29 parliamentary elections.  ENEMO, a partner organization of NDI, called off its mission following a string of unwarranted arrests of ENEMO leaders and continued harassment of its observers.

The recent violent crackdown against Iranian activists intensified after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei stated that public protests against the disputed election must cease. Tehran’s prosecutor general publicly announced that more than 2,500 people were detained in Tehran alone, with over 500 still in detention. In addition, 242 people have been detained at their homes or places of work by unidentified agents and taken to undisclosed locations, including 25 journalists and 87 students. Tehran’s police chief admitted 20 fatalities, but other estimates have put the number at more than 30.

By Massih Alinejad

In the wake of June’s highly contested election, speculation in the streets of Iran was that a post-election fight was taking place within the regime between former president and chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council Hashemi Rafsanjani and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  The infighting discouraged many from becoming involved for fear of being demolished by the powerful forces. The dynamics, however, have changed. A new round of internal tensions within the Islamic regime may determine the fate of Iran’s old guard.

By Ramin Jahanbegloo

The Iran Election Bulletin is a biweekly publication covering domestic political and election issues in Iran.

By Sophie Bordbar

A reported three million Iranians participated in a peaceful protest march from Enghelab (Revolution) Square to Azadi (Freedom) Square on June 15.  Basij militia shot into the crowd, killing seven protestors, according to official reports.  Sohrab Arabi, a 19-year-old who was to enter university in the fall, was one of those killed. 

Democratic progress faltered in Mauritania, when in August 2008, less than two years after Mauritanian citizens democratically elected Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi as president, senior military officers led a coup d’état which overturned the government. A military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ruled the country during the proceeding months of political gridlock which saw the rise of a coalition of political parties standing in opposition to the junta, demanding return to constitutional order.