Iran: Elections Under Threat

“Elections Under Threat” portrays the everyday people of Iran as well as the candidates running for Parliament as they debate and discuss the relevance of these elections, their economic conditions and the international pressures on their nation. The documentary offers a unique glimpse into the political dynamics of the struggles for participation and democracy in a nation facing increasing economic and military threats from the United States.

Senator Hillary Clinton stood by her threat this weekend to “totally obliterate” Tehran if Iran were to attack Israel in the next 10 years. We take a look at how such threats play out within Iran and limit the space for internal dissent.

Iranians went to the polls on April 25th to vote in the second round of parliamentary elections. The results were a victory for conservative candidates allied with President Ahmadinejad. They called for unity between the president and the parliament at a time of threats from the United States.

The President’s opponents emphasized the need to strengthen Iran’s democratic institutions and improve the country’s economy. Although the opposition groups won a minority of the seats their fight is far from over. This round of parliamentary elections had the lowest voter turnout in Iran’s history.

Kouross Esmaeli and Rick Rowley of Big Noise Films went to Iran to follow the campaign before the elections and filed this report from Tehran. It was produced for Al Jazeera English.