Elections in Iran

I haven't said a word about maybe the most important event, at least regionally, during the past month, but I have been discussing it widely and saving up reading on it. Here comes a, belated but as much as a rearview mirror picture as I can give, overview of the elections in Iran - but I can mostly guide you to the obvious... and with no claims to be correct or comprehensive. Read Gary Sick and Juan Cole for original analysis.

Before – the hopes
Ahead of the elections in Iran, hopes were high of a renewed reformist stream and rejuvenated culture scene reflecting hopes of change.

Especially women's activists dared be cautiously optimistic, partially centred around hopes of the role of Mousavi's wife.

How the current events touch in time to the dead ayatollah founding modern Iran is also discussed.

After – developments and fears
What we saw after a contested vote count (?) was very different and witness to the strength of political emotions in Iran, from all sides of the apparent divide.

Early articles talk of the fragility of the system when recounts are demanded.
The strong feelings were apparent in all reporting. Reports of reformist leaders being arrested also came early, as well as the question if this was a new revolution coming on? (personally I would guess no, it's part of the struggle for the soul of the old one...) Images of a beleagerud Teheran were repeated.

Analyses defining a split in the Iranian leadership and defining almost a coup came through.

The entrenched leadership sees the demonstrations as orchestrated by enemy outside powers.

A young woman demonstrator's death rebounded over world media. Demographic and economic realities behind the mood of young Iranians is shown. Listen to AlJazeera on youtube - highlighting the role of interactive media also (more on that later).

Eyewitnesses from Tehran have told their stories in the media. Here a young man imprisoned. More unusually, a Qom-cleric was heard.

Discussions of the outcome in more concrete terms were also common - what happened to the actual vote-count?

Parvin Ardalan spoke to international media. Eventually also Rafsanjani broke his silence - on of the most poignant occurrences of the whole scenario. Iranians in exile spoke too, probably as divided as inside.

HRW looks at night-time raids in Tehran.

And the crisis goes on...

Internet politics in Iran
A specific aspect has of course been the media scene. A lot of tecchy stuff in the below too...

Cyber warfare threat assessments... also reported.

A technical overview and analysis of traffic data and internet control.

Attempts to control the cyber space... and positive and negative sides to using social media for politics.

How much bloggers matter, and the role of facebook and twitter.

Commentary
Trita Parsi tries to sort out the alliances and divisions... and comments here too, while Emile Hokayem looks beyond the election to the wider dispute ground. Babak Rahimi looks at the comparison with 1979.

Chatham House analyzed the voting figures, commented by Juan Cole. Also MERIP discusses the situation.

Iranian reformist Akbar Ganji speaks out here and here.

Discussion of the role of outside parties also came up - how can we make a difference? Still more.

The lack of Arab comment was also noticed... eventually, comments such as this came from the Gulf.

Misc and extras
Dagens Nyheter talk to their photographer who was adopted from Iran (featured on this blog earlier).

And, for this time I have not even attempted to attribute links directly - it makes too boring reading. Click and check! They are vaguely chronological above, but not systematically so, btw.