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Iran MP: Guardian Council adopted political approach rather than religious and legal

Iran Materials 22 May 2013 13:21 (UTC +04:00)
The Guardian Council of Iran adopter a more political approach than religious and legalm conservative member of Iranian parliament, MP Ali Motahari said.
Iran MP: Guardian Council adopted political approach rather than religious and legal

The Guardian Council of Iran adopter a more political approach than religious and legalm conservative member of Iranian parliament, MP Ali Motahari said, Iran's Young Journalists Club website reported.

The MP was commenting on the council's decision to disapprove ex-president Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani from running in this year's presidential race.

"I think that he disqualification of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani was wrong, the same way that Mr. Jalili's qualification was wrong," Motahari said. "This proves that the Guardian Council has adopted a more political approach than religious and legal."

Regarding the reasons for Hashemi Rafsanjani's disqualifications, Motahari said the Guardian Council came up with two justifications (one is physical inability and the other participation in the 2009 sedition), both of which are invalid.

"Rafsanjani and his family were slandered in that show of a negotiation. Then he asked for a time from the IRIB to defend himself but they denied him the space. So naturally he had objections. Can this, considering all that record and experience, be a license for disqualification?," Motahari asked.

He went on by criticizing the qualification of Saeed Jalili "with least experience", asking "Can somebody become President with a couple of meetings and negotiations with Mrs. Ashton?"

Motahari was then asked how he predicts the upcoming elections.

"Under these circumstances I do not think that such political breakthrough as mentioned by the Leader of the Revolution will happen, because breakthrough, high participation, and excitement come when optimal representatives from the sides running for presidency are at hand," he said.

"The excitement stirred across the country when Mr. Hashemi signed up proved that his presence is demanded by a large part of society, whereas his disqualification disillusioned people. There had appeared among people hope in national integrity, an end to disagreements, and the instatement of a vibe of love and friendship in the country come by a discourse of moderation and reason, which was unbelievably dissipated by the Guardian Council," he underscored.

At the end he stated "I believe that the only solution is that the Leader of the Revolution would qualify Mr. Hashemi by state decree. That is not something far-fetched, because after the sign-up, Mr. Hashemi had told him 'If you are against it I will resign,' and he had said 'I am not against it.'"

Late on May 21, the Guardian Council of Iran revealed the list of names approved for participation at the upcoming presidential elections in the country.

The council said that the country's Constitution and the election law were the criteria for vetting presidential hopefuls.

The Guardian Council approved MP Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, Hassan Rohani, the director of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council, former First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi, and former Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Velayati.

Iran will hold the 11th presidential election on June 14, 2013.

The voters will select the successor of the current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is not able to participate in the elections for the third term according to the country's constitutional laws.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election and the Guardian Council vets the candidates for qualifications.

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