Direct and Indirect Interference of 21 Government Members in Elections to Determine Replacement for Raisi

The news website Khabar Online reported that the extent of interference by members of a government in the upcoming elections is "unprecedented" and announced the "direct and indirect involvement of 21 government members in the elections." According to this news source in Iran, 5 senior government members are "directly" involved in the elections, while 16 others are engaged "indirectly." The report states that this level of government interference in the elections has also drawn in individuals unrelated to the matter, such as Ali Baqeri, the caretaker of the Foreign Ministry, who, according to the report's author, has "involved himself in political games" by signing a letter that government members wrote to the Guardian Council to confirm the qualifications of the current Minister of Culture. This letter, signed by 16 government members, claimed that a candidate [Mohammad Mahdi Esmaeili, the current Minister of Culture] possesses all the necessary qualifications to continue Raisi's government. In response to the fallout from this letter, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the official state news agency, announced that it would pursue legal action regarding the publication of the religious testimony by some members of the government to the Guardian Council. Meanwhile, Mohammad Mokhber, the current head of the government, had previously issued a directive prohibiting any direct or indirect interference and the use of governmental resources during the elections. The elections to determine a replacement for Ebrahim Raisi will be held on July 8. During the candidate registration process, 80 political figures affiliated with the Iranian government registered, with some having withdrawn in the past two days. The Guardian Council will select a number of candidates from among the applicants in the coming days to determine the replacement for the President of the Islamic Republic. Part of the Decode program: How does the electoral process in the Islamic Republic promote disinformation? Fariborz Kalantari's assessment of government members' support for the candidacy of the Minister of Culture in the presidential elections. Increasing restrictions ahead of early elections; calls to boycott the elections have been criminalized. Golrokh Iraei: Elections dictate the wishes of the dictator to society to repeat the claim of people's participation in their destiny. Criticism from Molavi Abdolhamid regarding the structure of the government in Iran: The president cannot do anything.