• “Enemies of the Islamic Republic are contemplating a soft overthrown and are after installing a president who is closer to them and their goals.”
  – Secretary of the Council of Guardians Ayatollah Ahmad Janati in a speech in Bushehr, quoted in Rooz, March 29

By Kaveh-Cyrus Sanandaji
Middle East Center, St. Antony's College, University of Oxford

By Masih Alinejad

During the Iranian Islamic Revolution, the fair distribution of wealth was the most eminent slogan that created hope in the hearts of many Iranians. Those who prior to the Revolution felt the division of poverty – and not the distribution of capital – in their lives, somehow not only managed to survive the hard times of the war era through the Islamic Republic’s economic policies, but also looked toward a brighter future. That hope faded slowly, however, leaving Iran behind other countries in the region and the world.

Given that Iran is the second-largest oil producer among the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has 10 percent of the world's proven petroleum reserves and the second largest reserve of natural gas, the Islamic Republic should be a very wealthy country, but Iran’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) ranks among other middle income countries in the Middle East.

By Geneive Abdo
Iran Analyst, The Century Foundation

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is fighting for his political life as never before. In early April, conservative heavyweights said they would decide among themselves who would compete against him for the presidency. He is at war with Iran’s parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, a fellow conservative, pitting the executive office against the parliament – a rare occurrence in Iranian politics. And, the country’s chief economists are blaming Ahmadinejad for record high inflation and unemployment.

Since the early 1990s, women in Latin America have significantly increased their political participation and successes. But while the number of women legislators has increased, advances have not been uniform across countries and women are continuing to seek more recognition of their interests. In some countries, women legislators have formed committees on gender; in others, more informal groups have been created to address specific issues. But the strength and effectiveness of these groups differ from country to country.

Sudanese living in the resource-rich border region between the north and south of the country have bleak views of their current situation and the future, according to focus group research released this month by NDI. Focus group participants from the state of Southern Kordofan consider their security and development situation to be deteriorating. Still reeling from an upsurge of violence last May, residents of Abyei are pessimistic about the possibility of sustained peace. Participants from Blue Nile state feel more hopeful about their prospects.

The Iran Election Bulletin is a biweekly publication covering domestic political and election issues in Iran in the lead-up to the June 12 presidential election.