Our country has been under the oppression and domination of the Islamic Republic of Iran for nearly 40 years. Today, in the face of the Iranian people‘s struggle for freedom, emancipation and social justice, we the following organizations and political parties with different socio‐political perspectives and backgrounds, have begun a joint activity in accordance with the following Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). We consider this a preliminary move and a step towards forming a broad alliance. We shall make every effort for its realization.
We emphasize the necessity for a broad alliance for the establishment of a democratic federal republic in Iran, the adherence to values such as tolerance, pluralism, separation of religion and state, and in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and coexistence of all democratic political leanings and tendencies.
We strongly emphasize the support for the continuation and expansion of the ongoing struggles in all of its manifestations such as protests, strikes, democratic and civil movements of the peoples of Iran. As such, we invite all democratic and republican political parties and organizations who are in agreement with the MOU for cooperation toward the common aim of overthrowing the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The fundamentals of our cooperation – Introduction:

A. After a century of tumultuous struggles for freedom and social justice and people’s sovereignty, for establishment and institutionalization of democracy, and a continuous effort to establish a free, advanced and modern Iran devoid of any gender, nationality and religion discrimination, Iran remains plagued with tyranny and despotic rule. People are deprived of their basic rights, political,
social, and civil liberties and legal and social security. Discrimination against women who make up half of the country‘s population is the official policy and practice of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dissidents, intellectuals, writers, artists, scholars, the young and students are in continuous danger of being attacked, and their rights violated by the government. Workers, teachers, academics and other producers of material and spiritual wealth of society lack the minimum necessities for a dignified living and deprived of the rights to form independent unions. Government‐sanctioned oppression and discrimination against Iran‘s nationalities continue unhindered in violent ways. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to respond to the demands of their national and ethnic rights in the most brutal means and methods. The power structures as laid out in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic is based on discrimination, the integration of religion and state, hostility toward freedom and modernity.
In the Islamic Republic, people are deprived of their sovereignty and self‐determination, and their human rights are continuously violated. The Islamic Republic of Iran by its nature and its entirety cannot be reformed – hence, none of the democratic demands of the Iranian people can be realized in its framework.
Therefore, the overthrow of the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the dissolution of all its repressive judicial, legislative and executive institutions (political, military, security, etc.), abolition of its Constitution, along with all other non‐democratic laws is the primary condition for establishing a democratic republic based on the separation of religion and state and the respect for human rights.

B. The struggle against the Islamic Republic has always been going on since its founding. Tens of thousands of fighters for freedom and social justice have lost their lives, during the past forty years, in their struggle against this tyrannical regime. For four decades, despite the repressive policies of the government, people have expressed their dissatisfaction and disdain with the status quo in various ways, and sometimes, millions have come to the streets to show their repulsion against the non‐democratic, unjust and discriminatory policies of the regime. Their latest examples are the ongoing and the recent movements, and notably the mass nation‐wide demonstrations, strikes and uprising on January 2018. These demonstrations have exposed the true despotic nature of the Islamic Republic and have contributed greatly to national and international solidarity with Iranian peoples’ struggle for achieving democracy.

C. During the past four decades, freedom loving people, republicans, democrats and forces of the left have fought the regime on their own ways and under the different banners. However, experience has shown that without the cooperation and unity of action of the opposition forces, it will be difficult to influence political developments and the formation of a republican and democratic alternative to the regime. Today, in order to advance this struggle, cooperation and unity of action have become a necessity more than ever. We, the organizations and political parties, signatories of this MOU, with different programs, social perspectives and political backgrounds, emphasize the need for a broad alliance of all democratic republicans for the establishment of democracy in Iran based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its accompanying conventions.
We adhere to such values as tolerance, pluralism, the separation of religion and state, and the coexistence of all democratic political currents and tendencies.
We will continue supporting and fight for the expansion and intensification of the ongoing protest movement of Iranian people which is a rainbow of classes, social groups and various political forces fighting for freedom. We stress on the civil, democratic and non‐violent struggles which characterize the ongoing movement. We consider that agreement on this preliminary plan would be a step toward a broad alliance of the republicans of Iran.

Our common plan

1. The establishment of a democratic parliamentarian republic system of government based on the separation of religion and state, separation of the three branches of government and political pluralism, direct election of all representatives in institutions of the state by the vote of the people and the adherence to the principle of alternation of power, and belief that people’s vote is the sole source of power and legitimacy of government.

2. Iran is a country formed as a result of the coexistence of various nationalities: Persians, Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Baluchs, Turkmens and other linguistic entities and religious and cultural minorities. For this unity and coexistence of peoples to remain stable, it is essential that: First, identity and democratic national rights of these peoples and their right to determine their own destiny to be recognized.
Secondly, the current highly centralized power of the state shall replace itself with decentralization, distribution of power in the political structure of Iran.
We want the free union of all Iranian peoples in a federal political and administrative system of governance.

3. Separation of religion and state and a guarantee for freedom of opinion, religion, and cult.

4. Ensuring political freedom, democratic and civil rights of the people; guaranteeing freedom of thought and expression, media and information, lifestyle and activities of political parties, freedom of assembly, demonstrations, strikes, and the establishment of professional organizations and trade unions.

5. Providing equal rights of citizens, impartial to sex, religion, ethnic, national, linguistic, political and sectional affiliations.

6. Commitment and guarantee for the rights and liberties set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its accompanying conventions.

7. The abolition of the death penalty and any punishment which would undermine human dignity and integrity.

8. Ensuring equal treatment for women and men, the abolition of any gender discrimination and full implementation of the provisions of the Convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. Legal guarantee to facilitate the development of women‘s talents and capabilities in all aspects of individual, family, social and political life.

9. Institutionalization of democracy in the country and the continuation of the historical coexistence of all society’s components require that the equal rights, as well national democratic rights of peoples and ethnic entities living in the unified, democratic and decentralized Iran, provided and guaranteed in the national, political, economic and social spheres.

10. Providing equal opportunities for access to housing, health, education, employment, culture and social security for all.

11. Establishing political relations of Iran with all countries of the world on the basis of mutual respect, acceptance of the principle of the sovereignty of Iranian people, national interests, and the safeguarding of world peace. We oppose foreign interference in the internal affairs of the Iranian people concerning their right of self‐determination, and the fabrication of alternatives by foreign powers.

12. Appealing to public opinion and seeking support from international institutions for the struggles of Iranian people to establish democracy in Iran, to exert pressure on the Islamic Republic for its violation of human rights in Iran, and affirmation of solidarity with the struggles of Iranians for freedom.

13. Opposition to fundamentalism, violence and terrorism.

14. We consider holding gatherings, sit‐ins, strikes, marches and various other forms of struggle, the right of self‐defense against the acts of violence by the government, and to engage civil campaigns to achieve their economic and political demands, as part and parcel of the fundamental rights of the citizens.

Democratic Alliance of Azerbaijan‐ Birlik
Movement of Democratic and Secular Republicans of Iran
Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
Democratic Party of Kurdistan
Komalah Party of Iranian Kurdistan
The Union of People’s Fedaian of Iran
Baluch People’s Party
Interim Council of the Left Socialists of Iran
Komalah of the Toilers of Kurdistan
16. November 2018