1963 Iranian referendum

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
White Revolution referendum
26 January 1963 (1963-01-26)
"White Revolution of the Shah and the People":[1]
  1. Abolition of the landowner–tenant system by land reform
  2. Nationalization of forests and pastures
  3. Sale of government factories for the purpose of financing land reform
  4. Making workers shareholders of factories they worked in
  5. Reform of electoral laws
  6. Creation of the Literacy Corps
Results
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 5,589,711 99.93%
No 4,115 0.07%
Valid votes 5,593,826 100.00%
Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00%
Total votes 5,593,826 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 6,098,277 91.73%
271,179 announced additional votes cast by women were counted separately but not considered in the official results[2]
Women voting in the referendum

A referendum was held in

show popular support for him, asking voters to approve or veto the reforms of the White Revolution.[3]

Women were not officially allowed to vote, but were set up to vote at their own balloting counters and dedicated boxes, at the suggestion of Ministry of Agriculture Hasan Arsanjani. The results gave Iranian women the right to vote.[4]

Criticism

Despite the apparent benign nature of the proposals in the referendum, there was significant opposition.

ulema and communists.[3]

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for boycotting the referendum as "un-Islamic".[6]

parliament.[5]

Voters were asked six questions, but had only the option to vote yes or no to the total package.[7]

The ballots for 'Yes' were white, while the negative ones were green.[2]

Similar to the previous referendum, polling places lacked secrecy and there were two separate voting booths: one for the supporters and one for the opponents. "No sane man would enter the opposition booth", according to Mohammad Gholi Majd.[1]

Party policies

Position Organization Ref
Yes
Nationalists’ Party
People's Party
Pan-Iranist Party
Boycott
National Front
 [5]
Freedom Movement [8]

Results

Choice Votes %
For 5,589,711 99.9
Against 4,115 0.1
Abstain 0 0
Total votes 5,593,826 100
Registered voters 6,098,277 —
Source: Nohlen et al.[7] and Zonis[9]

Aftermath

Further information:
June 5, 1963, demonstrations in Iran

Following the referendum dissension and riots outbroke in almost all major urban areas, most significantly in

Tudeh Party and religious activists were imprisoned.[9] The unrest made Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini the regime's principal opponent in the minds of most Iranians.[6]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0813017310
  2. ^ a b E. A. Bayne (1965), Four Ways of Politics: State and Nation in Italy, Somalia, Israel, Iran: The Dynamics of Political Participation as Exhibited in Four Countries Caught Up in the Process of Modernization, American Universities Field Staff, p. 260
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1-84511-073-4
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-252-07189-8
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0313375095
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 9780823944651
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-924958-9
    .
  8. ISBN 978-1135043810
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 9781400868803
    .
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