Straight From the Horse's Mouth

آقای امیر‌احمدی، با توجه به اینکه سفر تازه‌ای به ایران داشتید و نگاهی هم لابد از صحنه‌ای نزدیک‌تر به انتخابات؛ انتخابات را در ایران چطور دیدید؟متاسفانه در ایران انتخابات، هنوز خیلی جدی نیست. نه برای مردم، نه برای احزاب و نیروهای سیاسی مختلف. من فکر می‌کنم که انتخابات آزاد را باید یک پروژه ملی کرد. ولی متاسفانه در ایران، انتخابات یک پروژه ملی نیست. هنوز یک پروژه حزبی و گروهی و جناحی اینطور چیزها است.

Q: Mr. Amir-Ahmadi, considering that you just returned from Iran and witnessed the election, how would you describe the election in Iran?

*AMIR_AHMADI: Regretfully, Election in Iran, is still not serious; not for the people, not for the political parties, and not for diverse political forces. I think, free election should become a National Project; but regretfully, in Iran election is not a National Project. It is still a party-oriented, factional and a religious/political group project.

*HOOSHANG AMIRAHMADI holds a Ph.D. in planning and international development from Cornell University and is a professor of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Professor Amirahmadi has served as director of the University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies, as chair and graduate director of his department at the Bloustein School, and as the University Coordinator of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program. He is the founder and president of the American Iranian Council (AIC) (http://www.american-iranian.org/), a research and policy think-tank devoted to improving dialogue and understanding between the peoples of Iran and the United States. Dr. Amirahmadi is also a founder of the Center for Iranian Research and Analysis and served as its director for many years. He was a candidate for President in the Nine Presidential Elections in Iran in June 2005, but the conservative and religious Guardian Council disqualified him for his dual Iranian-American citizenship and democratic platform. Dr. Amirahmadi is also the president of Caspian Associates, Inc. (http://www.caspian-associates.com/), an international strategic consulting firm headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey.