Bahonar: The Outcome of Nuclear Negotiations Will Affect the 10th Parliamentary Elections

Mohammad Reza Bahonar, the Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, states that the outcome of the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group will influence the results of the 10th parliamentary elections, and the presence of reformists in this election will be 'more prominent' than in the 8th and 9th parliamentary elections. In an interview with the House of Parliament News Agency published on Sunday, April 9, he expressed his prediction regarding the nuclear negotiations, saying: 'This issue is not black and white; I feel we cannot reach a comprehensive agreement, although I do not agree with the idea of abruptly ending the negotiations.' Bahonar's statements come amid concerns expressed by some conservative parliament members about the impact of the nuclear negotiations on the 10th parliamentary elections, while they also claimed that the outcome of these negotiations would not affect the results of the upcoming elections. For instance, Gholamali Haddad Adel, the head of the conservative faction in the Parliament, stated on November 30, 2014: 'We representatives... clearly tell the Americans: Do not think you can interfere in the upcoming parliamentary elections through threats and extensions of negotiations to create a favorable impact for yourselves.' Meanwhile, in October 2014, conservative media in Iran protested against remarks made by Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, at the Council on Foreign Relations in the U.S. regarding the impact of nuclear negotiations on Iran's domestic politics. The Vatan-e-Emruz newspaper accused the 11th government of 'clique and group behavior' and sending a 'non-national message' to the U.S. to influence the 10th parliamentary elections. The Guardian Council of Iran has set March 7, 2016, as the date for the upcoming parliamentary elections and the Assembly of Experts. 'The Stability Front has Drawn Closer to Bahonar' In another part of this interview, Bahonar responded to questions about 'rumors' regarding his closeness to the Stability Front, saying: 'The metal of Bahonar is such that it does not belong to the Stability Front from 2012 and its founding time. You can use this term that the Stability Front has drawn closer to Bahonar.' He added: 'I think the Stability Front is gradually approaching a balanced point. In the early days of the Stability Front's establishment, they were aggressive, which caused some of our friends to be afraid of the Stability Front; I believe the members of the Stability Front are good forces.' On Thursday, March 5, 2015, Bahonar also described the serious presence of reformists in the upcoming parliamentary elections and the Assembly of Experts as a 'threat' for conservatives, stating that conservatives 'have no choice but to form alliances.' He emphasized: 'Today we must understand that neither the Stability Front will come to bow before us, nor should we go to bow before them; rather, both sides must compromise on common positions to form an alliance.' During the 9th parliamentary elections in March 2012, the 'Stability Front' was close to Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, while the main group of conservatives, namely the 'Front of Followers of the Line of Imam and Leadership,' announced that they would participate in the elections centered around Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, the Secretary-General of the Combatant Clergy Association.