Cancellation of Minoo Khalighi's Votes; Ministry of Interior: Not All Issues Should Be Politicized

The spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Interior, in continuation of the disputes surrounding the cancellation of Minoo Khalighi's votes, the elected representative of Isfahan in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, called for a 'calm' atmosphere regarding this matter and stated that not all issues should be politicized or media-driven. Hossein Ali Amiri, on Wednesday, April 1, in an interview with the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), referred to Ali Motahari's remarks that called the cancellation of Ms. Khalighi's votes 'illegal' and stated that the Ministry of Interior utilizes all its legal capacities to uphold citizens' rights and has a different interpretation regarding this matter compared to the Guardian Council. The Central Election Supervisory Board, appointed by the Guardian Council, declared Minoo Khalighi's votes, the third candidate from the Isfahan electoral district in the Islamic Consultative Assembly elections, invalid. Although this body did not provide a reason for such an action, social media has suggested that 'shaking hands with men' was the reason behind it. Meanwhile, Ali Motahari, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, protested this action by the Guardian Council, calling it 'illegal' and stated that if a selected representative is to be removed, this should be done by the Islamic Consultative Assembly during the review of credentials, not by the Guardian Council. Mr. Motahari also warned the Minister of Interior that if he submits to this action by the Guardian Council and does not issue Ms. Khalighi's credentials, he should be impeached. However, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior stated that 'the issuance of credentials in such circumstances requires legal explanations to clarify whether it falls within the Ministry's authority or not.' He mentioned that Ali Motahari is aware of the details of the Ministry of Interior's follow-ups and that legal explanations regarding the issuance of credentials will be provided soon. Ultimately, Hossein Ali Amiri stated: 'We need a calm atmosphere and solidarity, and elections should be held in a calm environment. Therefore, we see no necessity to politicize or media-fy all issues.' The Ministry of Interior of Iran had previously announced that assuming the Guardian Council insists on canceling Minoo Khalighi's votes, she can no longer enter the Islamic Consultative Assembly. In this regard, the disagreement between the Guardian Council and the Ministry of Interior regarding the third elected representative from Isfahan has been a topic of discussion, including narratives from behind the scenes of what happened to Minoo Khalighi.