Political participation and electoral behaviors (voting preferences) of people from Imam Khomeini's viewpoint

Elections are one of the most recognized characteristics of a politically developed society. However, a large number of countries have been unable to hold effective elections because of a variety of reasons. One of the countries which is considered, even by many outsiders, as an example of a successful country with regard to holding effective elections is Islamic republic of Iran. The country has been, from the beginning, one of the governments which has experienced and successfully held a large number of elections.In this system, the republic structure necessitates the appointments to be based on election so that legislative and executive posts are indicative of indispensable democratic characteristics of Islamic Republic of Iran. This prepares grounds for the active and extensive participation of the citizens, groups and political parties toward determining political destiny of the country through election.Imam Khomeini (RA), in his political, revolutionary, national and efficient theory, and with introducing the principle of the necessity of self-determination of destiny in each nation, stipulates that,” each nation should determine its own destiny”. In his view, this decision is not only politically necessary, it is also considered as a historical, global and philosophical tradition and law and is an objective and definite reality. Imam, also, believes that governments, their power and their efficiency originate in nations’ determination and their interests in their fate i.e. the government, election, the president, the parliament and other leading government organs and institutions of the political system of the Islamic Republic of Iran are in accordance with national demand, and depend on general will and toward fulfiling their own country’s national interests.In this article, resources and theories of Imam Khomeini’s thoughts are studied with regard to the necessity of people’s political participation in organizing and governing the Islamic society.