Azerbaijan, Baku, April 28 / Trend T. Jafarov /
Joint committee on control over regular presidential elections in Iran established by reformers caused protest of ruling party but was not an illegal action.
Two individuals-reformers nominated for presidential elections to be held in Iran on June 12. They are ex-speaker of the Parliament Mehdi Karoubi and ex-Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Moussavi. They decided to establish joint committee on control over elections. Nobody from ruling party (conservators) nominated for presidential elections despite current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched his election campaign.
Two candidates-reformers created joint committee to prevent falsification during voting and ensure correct counting of votes, Milli Etemad (National trust) newspaper of the same called party headed by Karoubi reported.
The committee set down to official activity on April 26.
Iranian ex-president-reformer Mohammad Hatemi's deputy Mohammad Ali Abtahi expressed anxiety because of unfair shuffling during elections in an interview with Trend .
Earlier reformers told about necessity in establishment of control committee but faced with sharp protest of ruling party.
Ruling party's protest has no grounds. Reformists can create committee on control over elections upon the constitution, Iranian ex-interior minister Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour told Trend .
Representatives of candidates participating at elections are allowed attending polling stations during voting and counting of votes upon election law in Iran.
Ahmadinejad's victory in presidential elections of 2005 caused protest of other candidates. Ahmadinejad gained a victory getting 17 million of votes upon official statement of the Interior Ministry and the central election commission. Other candidates - Ali Akbar Rafsanjani (ex-president) and Karoubi stated about falsification of elections.
Member of central council of the Milli Etimad party Abulfaz Shukur told Trend that the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran allows the presence of persons nominated for election at the station during the voting. "Under the law, Karroubi and Moussaoui wanted to unite their observers. They created a committee that monitors of both candidates can work together," Shukur said over phone from Tehran. He also stressed that the ruling party was not against the monitoring committee.
Foundation of the Supervisory Committee by reformists will not guarantee that the next presidential election will take place transparently.
Head of the Iranian Fund of Journalists, activist of a political Ali Mazroui believes that candidates' control over the election will not prevent infringement.
Abtahi believes that, despite the fact that the ruling party has a number of promises about the transparent elections, but unlikely the promises are delivered.
Mazroui explained that this time the ruling party did not protest against the supervisory committee, explaining differences between the Committee, which was initially planned to create, and this committee: "Earlier the committee was set up by camp of reformists only for control of elections, now it was established around the two candidates who wish to participate in elections.
Shukur believes that the ruling party protests against the establishment of a committee, it was the result of misinterpretation of the law. According to him, the conservatives have understood the requirements of the Constitution only now, and, therefore, allow candidates to create such a committee.
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