Three prominent Iranian opposition groups have reached an agreement to cooperate towards achieving a transition to secular democracy in Iran.
Their statement (originally in Persian) reads as follows:
The first step of convergence/cooperation to form a broad pro-democracy coalition
The revolution of Woman Life Freedom has opened a new chapter in the history of the old country of Iran. Women, youth and students, along with other different social strata, were able to display a unique example of non-violent civil struggle for the transition from the Islamic Republic as informed Iranian citizens in a glorious national solidarity and arouse the admiration of the world. The human ideals and slogans of this mature and mature movement crossed the geography of Iran and brought millions of people around the world with it and became a global image. This steadfast song of change to save Iran from religious tyranny and achieve the rule of law, freedom and people’s sovereignty over their destiny has become the common desire of Iranians inside and outside the borders and has provided the basis for a historical transformation.
The great struggle of the Iranian people to achieve a humane life was able to force not only the public opinion and human rights organizations, but also the governments of the free world to listen to the voice of the Iranian people. The clear steps taken by these countries in supporting the democratic struggles of the Iranian people and exerting pressure on the criminal government of the Islamic Republic is a great achievement of the brave struggle of the women and youth of Iran, which should be taken seriously and used for the final victory over the Islamic Republic.
The presence of a responsible and capable opposition that can be the real voice of this revolution in this sensitive political-historical situation and fulfill the rightful request of the people to form a political weight, plays a vital role in determining the fate of this struggle. The creation of such a mechanism can end the dispersion and divergence of the real pro-democracy forces and unite all forces in a common platform against the criminal government of the Islamic Republic. Such an institution can definitely create hope by presenting the prospect of a democratic transition and have a decisive impact on changing the power equation in the current scene of struggle. The existence of such a democratic alternative that can bring down the Islamic government and manage the difficult transition period is not only the common wish of all Iranians, but also the desire of the international community. Procrastination of the opposition forces in this field may bring irreparable consequences and the continuation of this situation will lead our country to social collapse.
The Constitutional Party of Iran, the Transitional Management Council and the National Decision Council have decided to take the first steps of cooperation and convergence to form a broad coalition of pro-democracy forces in response to this undeniable necessity. Naturally, inviting other effective political forces to this coalition will be at the top of our actions, until it becomes the broadest cooperation front of all democratic forces to save Iran.
We suggest the following basic characteristics for such a coalition:
- Belief in the territorial integrity and national unity of Iran;
- A firm belief in the necessity of transitioning from an Islamic government to a secular representative democracy system;
- Acceptance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its annexed conventions as the basis of the fundamental rights and freedoms of Iranian citizens;
- Trying to eliminate any gender, ethnic, ideological and religious discrimination in the society and create equal opportunities for all citizens;
- Accepting the principle of decentralization in the national management system, by recognizing the right of the people to effectively intervene in the management of all affairs of their region through the policymaking of local councils;
- Believing in the free will and vote of Iranian citizens as the only authority for the legitimacy of national sovereignty;
- Delegating the determination of the country’s future political system to the free will and vote of Iranian citizens in a completely free media space for the public, through the people’s representatives in the Constituent Assembly and confirming it in a national referendum.
We, the participants in this coalition, intend to create a suitable structure and provide the necessary platform for the broad cooperation of all the different forces that can help the victory of the women-life-freedom revolution. We will try to provide the support of the international community for the benefit of the Iranian people at different levels by effectively supporting the struggles inside the country and be their voice. We pledge to use all our strength in the service of the great struggle for which the people of Iran suffered a lot and to be the embodiment of the national solidarity of women and youth and all the people of Iran. We believe that the main burden of the struggle is on the shoulders of the forces inside the country, and we will try to coordinate with them to form the largest national coalition to overcome Islamic fascism and establish democracy.
Long live the revolution of Woman Life Freedom.
May national solidarity win to save Iran.
Transitional Management Council, Constitutional Party of Iran (Liberal Democrat), National Decision Council
4 Esfand, 1401, 23 February, 2023
Source: iran-tc.com