The norm is that electoral exercises must be free and fair to be acceptable. In our political vocabulary, however, in addition to being free, an election is fully endorsed if the majority of those eligible to vote participate.
Although it is not very clear what is exactly meant by the notion of maximum participation, the May 1997 presidential election during in which 79.9 percent of voters showed up at ballot boxes was given high marks because the majority of the people had participated.
It seems if the role of government and the Interior Ministry in electoral races is clarified, the upcoming presidential election will produce positive results.
If the government and Interior Ministry got entangled in a serious dispute with the powerful Guardians Council during the Majlis election last year, it was because the GC bestowed itself with excessive authority when screening candidates for the law-making institution.
The fact is that the GCÕs performance during the controversial seventh parliamentary election was a major infringement of the rights of Interior Ministry, electoral executive committees and the nominees.
In Majlis elections, the government is the highest authority responsible for ensuring the vote is free and held in a truly competitive manner. It is also held accountable for the level of the public participation.
However, in the case of presidential elections the Guardians directly handle the vetting procedure and the Interior Ministry plays no important role in it. Thus it can be said that the Interior MinistryÕs sole responsibility here is to ensure that there is no rigging and that the votes are counted correctly.
In presidential elections, as opposed to the vote for the 290-member Majlis, the Interior Ministry is not considered a major player. It is rather responsible for paving the grounds so that voters can select their candidates of choice in full freedom and without intimidation.
Needless to say, maximum participation in elections is contingent upon freedom to choose and compete, and fairness.
Much also depends on how the screening process is carried out. This time around, utmost care must be taken in organizing the June presidential race.
First of all, the GC should revise its performance and put an end to favoritism while studying the credentials of would-be candidates.
Even if freedom, competitiveness and fairness of the vote are ensured, the people must be convinced that the president-elect will have sufficient authority to carry out all his obligations to the nation. Let us recall that in the past eight years, radical conservatives did everything possible to discourage the public, enfeeble their trust in the ruling establishment, and created major obstacles for the chief executive.
This time all necessary steps must be taken to guarantee that those unacceptable practices are not repeated.
Perhaps, parliament can be of the greatest assistance in this respect.
The conservative-dominated chamber should demonstrate that it has enough flexibility to cooperate with the next president, irrespective of his political leanings.
So far it seems that the Majlis has created far too many hurdles for the Khatami administration and its plan of action in key areas.
The bottom line is that the legislature and executive branches of government need to perform in unison if the latter wants to fulfill its duties effectively and as expected by the people. Let us bear in mind that although President Mohammad Khatami has the support of the majority of the voters, lawmakers who have only about 20 percent public support, have made his job extremely difficult, if not impossible.
In practical terms it would seem that the present Majlis would not cooperate with the incoming president unless he is 'one of them' and a member of the conservative enclave. In the interest of the country and the people, parliament must move without further delay to dispel its unhelpful image so that the people are encouraged to come out and vote on June 17.