- Target:
- Prime Minister of Australia
- Region:
- Australia
To the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd,
On June 12, 2009, millions of Iranians, many of whom have friends and family here in Australia, went to the polls to elect their next president. Unlike the 2005 presidential elections where 48% of the electorate voted in run-off elections to choose Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, many more voters were expected to and did turn-out to vote against his disastrous domestic and foreign policies.
However, even before a tally of the votes could be taken Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his supporters declared victory with 63% of the popular vote. With lightning speed his rival’s campaign headquarters were closed, many of their leaders were arrested and a heavy police and paramilitary presence was brought into the streets. Are these the actions of someone who has won a free and fair election?
Although the world does not yet realize it, on June 13th we witnessed an unprecedented coup d’état veiled in the guise of a popular election. If this coup is allowed to succeed and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) are allowed to consolidate their power, not only will they pose a danger to the Iranian people, but will also become a much greater threat to the outside world.
The implications of this coup are far-reaching. Whereas before the hard-line elements in the IRGC were held in check by the Supreme Leader and the clergy, over the last four years they have come to assume a position of immense power in Iran.
This coup represents the consummation of their new position in the state, and has grave implications for the Iranian people, Australia and the Western world.
To the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd,
On June 12, 2009, millions of Iranians, many of whom have friends and family here in Australia, went to the polls to elect their next president. Unlike the 2005 presidential elections where 48% of the electorate voted in run-off elections to choose Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, many more voters were expected to and did turn-out to vote against his disastrous domestic and foreign policies.
However, even before a tally of the votes could be taken Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his supporters declared victory with 63% of the popular vote. With lightning speed his rival’s campaign headquarters were closed, many of their leaders were arrested and a heavy police and paramilitary presence was brought into the streets. Are these the actions of someone who has won a free and fair election?
Although the world does not yet realize it, on June 13th we witnessed an unprecedented coup d’état veiled in the guise of a popular election. If this coup is allowed to succeed and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) are allowed to consolidate their power, not only will they pose a danger to the Iranian people, but will also become a much greater threat to the outside world.
The implications of this coup are far-reaching. Whereas before the hard-line elements in the IRGC were held in check by the Supreme Leader and the clergy, over the last four years they have come to assume a position of immense power in Iran.
This coup represents the consummation of their new position in the state, and has grave implications for the Iranian people, Australia and the Western world.
Thus far our government and Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith have taken the right steps by airing scepticism about the election results and calling for "…the Iranian authorities, the Iranian government to ensure that the issues raised by the three challengers are dealt with promptly and transparently."
We believe more is needed. The next step is to join our European allies, particularly Germany, France and Great Britain, to pressure the Iranian government to listen to its people’s voice and stop the harsh crackdown that even now rages in the streets of Tehran and other cities.
We must also do our utmost to convince our American friends to join us in condemning this blatant violation of democratic principles and to help the Iranian people in their quest for freedom.
It is our firm belief that the reform movement of Mir-Hossein Mousavi is not only in the interest of the Iranian people, but also in our security and economic interest.
Thank you for your support for the Iranian people thus far and we hope that together we can change the course of history and keep Australia safe and prosperous.
Sincerely Yours,
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The Support Democracy & Human Rights in Iran petition to Prime Minister of Australia was written by Free Iran and is in the category International Affairs at GoPetition.