The Iranian Resistance’s roadmap for a democratic republic

2026-03-02 - 18:33

The nationwide uprising that surged in late 2025 and continued into early 2026 has proven that the Iranian people are willing to pay any price to overthrow the ruling regime. This movement is not a transient explosion; it is a conscious, overthrow-oriented movement born from a long accumulation of political awareness and collective will for regime change. The defiance of the Iranian people—especially the women and youth leading the protests on the streets—will not dissipate once the regime falls. Instead, this revolutionary spirit will be channeled into a cultural and political renaissance to rebuild the nation. The central question facing Iran today is no longer whether the ruling regime will fall, but rather when it will fall, what will follow its collapse, and whether chaos will replace a century of monarchical and religious dictatorships. To prevent a power vacuum, the NCRI, which has consistently fought against the regime for decades, has prepared a comprehensive, practical roadmap for the day after the regime’s collapse, proving it is the only viable alternative to transition Iran peacefully into a secular, democratic republic. The democratic transition: a clear, time-bound roadmap The transition from theocracy to democracy will not be a leap into the dark. In a recent interview with Just the News, Mrs. Rajavi explained that “the transfer of sovereignty from dictatorship to the people can take place in an orderly, peaceful, democratic, and law-based manner,” thanks to the NCRI’s years of political and legal preparation. Immediately following the regime’s overthrow, a provisional government will be established with a limited, transparent, and defined mission. Within a maximum of six months, this provisional government is legally bound to organize free, fair, and universal elections to form a Constituent Assembly. Once convened, all political authority will be transferred to the people’s elected representatives in this assembly. Over a mandate not exceeding two years, the Constituent Assembly will select a final transitional government, draft the constitution of the new Republic of Iran, and submit it to a national referendum. Highlighting the selfless mission of the Resistance, Mrs. Rajavi said, “We are not seeking power nor a share of power. We fight and we sacrifice so that the Iranian people can attain their freedom. We want to return sovereignty to its rightful owners: the people of Iran.” Dismantling the dictatorship and institutionalizing freedom The spirit of the ongoing uprising demands the complete and irreversible dismantling of the regime’s oppressive apparatus. Based on Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, the new republic will systematically dissolve the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Qods Force, the Ministry of Intelligence, the unpopular Bassij, and all suppressive patrols that have terrorized citizens for decades. Furthermore, the mullahs’ Sharia law and the Islamic Revolutionary Courts will be entirely abolished. In their place, the provisional government will establish an independent legal system consistent with international standards, based on the presumption of innocence, the right to defense counsel, the prohibition of torture, and the complete abolishment of the death penalty. The new republic will also guarantee the separation of religion and state, completely rejecting the absolute clerical rule of velayat-e faqih and ensuring freedom of all religions and faiths. Equality, pluralism, and justice: the core of the new republic Iranian women, who have endured massive discrimination yet serve as the engine and backbone of the current uprisings, will see their defiance recognized with complete gender equality in political, social, cultural, and economic rights. This includes equal participation in political leadership—reflected by the fact that 52 percent of the NCRI’s members are currently women—and the right to freely choose their own clothing. The new republic will also heal deep historical wounds by removing double injustices against Iranian nationalities and ethnicities, officially recognizing their rights and granting autonomy to regions like Iranian Kurdistan. The young generation has no illusions about reforming the current regime, nor do they harbor nostalgia for the deposed Pahlavi monarchy, which was a chauvinistic one-party state run by a political police (SAVAK) that repeatedly carried out ethnic cleansing. Drawing a sharp contrast to the past, Mrs. Rajavi emphasized in her interview that in the NCRI’s vision, “no individual by virtue of religion, and no family by virtue of bloodline, has any special right to rule. All public offices must be filled through free, transparent, and verifiable elections.” Why the NCRI is the only capable force The NCRI and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) are not a symbolic or media-based opposition; they represent the longest-lasting coalition in Iran’s contemporary history, forged through six decades of relentless struggle against both the Shah and the clerics. Their legitimacy is deeply rooted in Iranian society and cemented by the ultimate sacrifice of 100,000 martyrs, including the 30,000 political prisoners—90 percent of whom were PMOI members—hanged during the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. Today, this democratic vision is backed by more than 4,000 parliamentarians and 125 former heads of state worldwide, while being powered domestically by the brave Resistance Units who continue to raise the cost of repression. The defiance of the Iranian people proves that change will come from within. As long as this regime remains in power, it will never abandon repression, nor will it yield to reform or persuasion. Liberation can only come through an uprising and organized resistance.