Iranian Kurdish Parties to Boycott Upcoming Presidential Elections in Iran

(BasNews/IraqiNews.com) Iranian Kurdish parties announced during a press conference on Thursday they have decided to boycott the upcoming elections in Iran which is scheduled to be held in May this year.

The Democratic Party of Kurdistan in Iran (PDKI) and its split branch, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK), and the three branches of the Kurdish Communist Komala party urged the people in the Kurdish areas of Iran to boycott the upcoming elections and not vote on the 19th of May, Kurdistan24 reported.

The parties expressed their reasons for boycotting the elections by saying that the Iranian regime does not allow for oppositions to exist and there is no freedom in the country.

They further added that the Kurdish people in Iran have no rights as citizens, and the upcoming elections will be carried out under the control of the Iranian regime, which makes the process “meaningless” and undemocratic.

The official month-long presidential campaign period in Iran has started since last week and the election is scheduled for the 19th of May.

Running in the elections after approval from Iran’s influential Guardians Council are incumbent president Hassan Rouhani, former president Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad and senior hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi.