By our Foreign Staff IT WAS a foregone conclusion. Faced with a choice between the monarchy and an Islamic Republic — and that was all the ChOICe Cre inevitable which way Iranian people would go.
But inevitability was good enough for Ayatollah Khomeini and his entourage. To make doubly sure they issued coloured voting cards -green, the colour of Islam, for yes; the colour danger, for no.
In every polling station voting was overseei religious leaders. One half of the coloured card had to be put in the ballot box, the other half discarded in a bin. This was done openly, with no pretence at a secret ballot.
In some places it is reported that mullahs and electoral officials were telling voters to put the green card in the ballot ›ox and the red one in the bin.
In many areas there was a ow turnout. since peon e could hardly see the point of voting. THE real winners in last week's Iranian referendum would have been the opinion pollsters — if they had The overwhelming vote of approval for Ayatollah Khomeini's regime was utterly predictable. On this The most dramatic boycott in the Calle nationalities, where the people have already discovered what an "Islamic Republic' means in practice, with armed repression against the national movements the in Kurdistan and Turkestan.
In those areas where there was a high turnout, this should not be taken to mean that the new regime's problems over. The trouble with an reterendum Is that it still leaves of guessing as to what the masses actually think.
The point is that, having by struggled for months terrible loss of life to overthrow the Shah, no-one could vote for his return now.
Most of the political parties called for a boycott -more or less active character.
An exception was pro-Moscow Tudeh which supported the Islamic KeDuDiC - which is wny unc Morning Star has had such sparse coverage referendum Both the Mujahedeen and oppressed are SHOTS Came OUE referendum, everyone they were in favour of an Islamic Republic.
The redaveen that they were in favour of immediate constituent outstanding problem is their continued ol a support for Prime the hierarchy.
Party, Constituent tions - immediate, secret and free - are an infinitely more CHorale way of the the should be.
The Iranian Prime Minister Bazargan — elected by no-one. the Fedayeen guerilla organisa- | Workers though to defence of announced nationalities. As we LO problems assembly. The policy of "critical tion.
Minister
ENC assembly elec- the nationalities, raised the of deciding constitution ment, Socialist pondent. hospitals the fighting tension and between Party (HKS) has evening combined its agitation for a boycott of the referendum and La constituent assembly with a campaign in the oppressed explain dead. elsewhere on this page their can only be democratically resolved by the free exercise of self-determinaIn opposition to the Islamic Republic which has meant successive attacks on women, and the workers movement — the HKS demand for workers' and peasants' governthe only government people. capable of meeting the needs of denied this.
fighting.
Gonbad
----- pull-quotes -----
such a thing in an "Islamic Republic'. page we ask why.