The Truth Behind Bahai Elections
Baha’i Administration consist of two arms the “Elected” and the “Appointed”. With the passage of time it became evident that some undesired candidates may find their way inside the administration. Hence it was necessary for the Baha’i administration to put a check on these undesired candidates and to have a mechanism of indirect nomination of “approved” candidates only.
So the need of the hour was programming the elected arm in such a way so as to control it by indirect nomination but in the name of election. Therfore in January 2001, the UHJ released a letter in which it defined the sphere of power of the appointed arm in precise terms.
In the Message There was a general shift in balance between the appointed and elected arms as well as the further development of new organs of administration. While the UHJ retained ultimate authority as head of the religion, the appointed arm clearly had more weight, power and authority than the elected arm. This was viewed by some as a step “backwards” imitating religious hierarchies of the “past”, in which unelected priestly elite retained ultimate control and power over the religion and the fortunes of its followers.
The perception was further strengthened by the nature of the Baha’i electoral process in which the incumbent members of the House of Justice were virtually guaranteed re-election, and could control future membership through nominating favored candidates to sit on the International Teaching Centre, signaling the House’s “approval” in the case of election for absent seats due to death or retirement. It is noteworthy to see that out of ten elections held for the House none of the sitting members were unelected unless he himself opted out or retired. This was against the sprit of the election as Shoghi Effendi said:
“Concerning the qualifications of the members of the spiritual assembly; there is a distinction of fundamental importance which should be always remembered in this connection, and this is between the spiritual assembly as an institution, and the persons who comprise it. These are by no means supposed to be perfect, nor can they be considered as being inherently superior to the rest of their fellow-believers. It is precisely because they are subject to the same human limitations that characterize the other members of the community that they have to be elected every year. The existence of elections is a sufficient indication that assembly members, though forming part of an institution that is divine and perfect, are nevertheless themselves imperfect”.
True to prediction, in the most recent UHJ election held in 2003 and 2009, the two retiring members in were replaced by two men from the International Teaching Centre. It will remain to be seen whether this pattern of indirect nomination of “approved” candidates continues.
In 2003 Mr. Payman Mohajir and Mr. Paul Lample were elected to UHJ both the members were from International Teaching Centre.
Again in the most recent election held in 2009 the two retiring members in were replaced by two men from the International Teaching Centre. Mr. Stephen Birkland and Mr. Stephen Hall.
This manipulation of the Administration and election is named as Spiritual Character of Baha’i Administration and divinely conceived Administration.
Baha’i Control On Their Electoral System (It Is Selection Not Election)
Part I | Part II | Part III
Dysfunction in Baha’i Institutions
How To Get Elected To Baha’i Institutions
The Baha’i Elections In Haifa, Israel For The Members Of The Universal House Of Justice Are Not Fair
The Bahai Insider 
Please read the following statement and note the quotation from the writings of Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian. There is no Universal House of Justice. The one you are referring to is false uhj predicted by Shoghi Effendi.
Message to all the believers in Baha’u’llah
Statement by E.S. Yazdani
After the first Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, left this world on Nov. 4, 1957, a group of people, then elevated to the rank of the Hands of the Cause of God, led by Ruhiyyah Khanum, openly opposed and challenged the authority of C. M. Remey, the head of the embryo of the Universal House of Justice, who was appointed by the first guardian of the Faith, to that position, on 9th of January, 1951. As the head of the Universal House of Justice and the office of the Guardianship is the same, C.M. Remey became the 2nd Guardian of the Baha’i faith on 4 Nov. 1951. C.M. Remey declared his position as the 2nd Guardian of the Baha’i Faith and the successor to the 1st Guardian, in his declaration of Ridvan, 117 of B.E.
The group of the ex-Hands of the Cause collectively claimed the successor ship to the 1st Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, and after “assuming the reins of authority with no documents”* to support them, formed an illegitimate Universal House of Justice in 1963 to mislead the believers.
The so called Universal House of Justice does not have the Guardian, in person, as its president, a fundamental requirement under the provision of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. It has not been formed in accordance with the Writings of the Baha’i Faith. It has not been the development of the embryo of Universal House of Justice, established by the first Guardian of the Faith in early 1951. Thus this body, the budded Universal House of Justice, is false Universal House of Justice and it is illegitimate.
The first Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, has rejected, in advance, validity of such an institution in his letter of summer of 1925 where he states:
“Any institution that is not established in accordance with the Divine Order, not in conformity with the principles and the conditions recorded in the Holy Writings, as it is required for this august institution, consequently such an institution is void of credential deprived of spiritual station, and forbidden to have any right to legislate and enact laws and ordinances which are not explicitly recorded in the Holy Writings. It also lacks the essential qualities and the Divine confirmation.” [Reference to the Universal House of Justice]
They have changed the official baha’i symbol into a freemasonic cult symbol.