Iran election: 'This time… we have to vote'

Image posted on Flickr by "Faith Today".

Iran's tenth presidential election takes place this Friday and the race is heating up. Current president Ahmadinejad and reformist Mirhossein Mousavi, both running for president, clashed in a televised debate last Wednesday, causing protests and street-fights on Saturday. Unlike in previous elections however, Iranian expat students say they won't boycott the vote this time.

Jessica Bogus is a 21-year-old French girl currently studying in Lund, Sweden, where many Iranians study abroad. While eating some traditional Gaz (nougat from Esfahan), Jessica asked her Iranian friends, the majority of whom boycotted the 2005 election, what they would do this time.

“I even changed my flight home to get back for the 12th”

Mitra also studies social sciences in Lund. She supports Mirhossein Mousavi.

I embrace the Islamic Republic of Iran, principally because it is a Republic, and then because it is Islamic. I've always gone to the polls and will go this time too. I even changed my flight home and my flat contract in order to get back for the 12^th. As an independent Muslim woman interested in media and politics, I'm actively supporting Mousavi, whose ideas towards women and culture inspire me."

“A case of choosing the best of a bad bunch; but you have to do it”

Shabnam studies social sciences in Lund. She also boycotted the 2005 election.

The election is a game which we have to play in order to change the destiny of the country, even though voting legitimizes the regime. I boycotted the last elections but today such a choice is dangerous. I won't be voting for Mousavi, I find his campaign all style and no substance, and too heavily reliant on his wife, the intellectual Zahra Rahnavard. Elections in Iran are really a case of choosing the best of a bad bunch; but you have to do it."

“Boycotting the election last time was a mistake”

Garsivaz (above) and Kiarokh (below) study wireless communication and visual art respectively. They boycotted the previous election.

Boycotting the election last time [2005] was a mistake. Things simply got worse. We really believed that such a movement could challenge the regime. It didn't, but who could have known? This time, it's not who will win that's most important, but our belief that we deserve better. We have to vote!

Who we're voting for? [Mirhossein] Mousavi's [leading moderate candidate] campaign is disappointing, he doesn't propose anything. Mehdi Karoubi [pro-reform challenger] however, he's interesting. He's really trying to touch the young generation. He's even got a Facebook page!"