Generally, people must always make choices.  We too must make a choice between reelecting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or supporting his rivals (Mehdi Karoubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi). 

 

In order to convince others to support our candidate, or to create election mania, we must multiply the abilities of our candidate by a large number and credit him with many capabilities; in other words, exaggerate, which, in Iran, is a common occurrence.  In this election, however, this would be very difficult.  Neither of the two reformist candidates exhibit discernible charismatic qualities.

 

In my opinion, this is an opportunity to refrain from exaggerating and jumping on a bandwagon. 

 

In my opinion, from the point of view of international standards of leadership, especially in the third world, Mr. Karoubi and Mr. Mousavi are not especial human beings.  They are ordinary individual, with ordinary promises and we must have ordinary expectations of them.

 

Certainly, neither of the two can change Iran's nuclear or Middle East policies, not that they would want to do so anyway.

 

They neither want nor are able to challenge the Supreme Leader's authority, or to change the country's politicized and securitized environment. 

 

Nonetheless, they can reduce some of our daily problems by putting together a technocratic and progressive cabinet, as well as reformist the country's bloated bureaucracy, which is slowly disintegrating.

 

In reality, that is all.  Therefore, it is necessary that we reduce our level of expectations, and instead have realistic expectations from the candidates, and voice our demands from that point of view.

 

The question of which candidate will implement fundamental change, establish democracy, reform the foreign policy and stand up to the Supreme Leader - with all due respect for all my colleagues - is nonsense!

 

They are not able to do those things; nor have they entered the election with the goal of doing those things; nor could we expect them to do those things.

 

In my opinion, rather discussing and arguing over issues that are secondary given present circumstances, we would be better served in asking candidates to introduce their team of technocrats, especially their senior deputy, so that we could make better decisions in light of that information.

 

In reality, the June presidential election amount only to a cabinet change, nothing more.  Indeed, even that change is important enough to justify our participation and voting.