Guardian Council Sets '11 New Conditions' for Presidential Candidates

The Guardian Council, while interpreting the condition of 'political-religious men and being a manager and administrator' for presidential candidates, announced 11 new conditions for these candidates, including 'lack of security-related offenses' such as those from the protests of 2009 and 'introduction of advisors' among others. The council also did not provide a clear definition regarding women's candidacy in the presidential elections and remained silent on the matter. These 11 conditions were approved after the general election policies were communicated by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic during a meeting on January 9, and were announced by the council's spokesperson on Saturday, March 16. According to the Guardian Council's definition, 'religious men' must have a 'prominent commitment to religious rituals and practices in personal and social life, recognized and known among the people for this characteristic.' In the council's view, 'political men are those who... always consider the interests of the Islamic system and authentic revolutionary criteria in their actions, to the extent that they are recognized and known among the people for this characteristic.' According to Article 115 of the Iranian Constitution, the President must be selected from among 'religious and political men' who are 'of Iranian origin, loyal to Iran, managerial and prudent, with a good record and integrity, pious and committed to the principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the official religion of the country.' This is the first time the Guardian Council has issued interpretations regarding these conditions stated in the Constitution. The council's interpretation of the conditions for presidential candidates was made after the general election policies were communicated by the Supreme Leader in 2015. 'Defining and announcing the necessary criteria and conditions for determining the political, religious, managerial, and administrative qualifications of presidential candidates by the Guardian Council' was among the points of these policies. In its new interpretation, the council stated that a manager must 'possess inherent and acquired competencies' and 'have the ability to foresee and think critically about matters based on rationality and correct knowledge for managing the country's affairs.' 'Introducing advisors to clarify and demonstrate the managerial capabilities of programs' and 'sufficient and assessable records in religious and political activities such as writings, speeches, and declarations of positions' are among the new conditions set by the Guardian Council for presidential candidates. 'Not being affiliated with illegal groups and not being convicted of actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran and lacking security-related offenses, including those from the 2009 unrest' are among other new conditions for presidential candidates. The Supreme Leader and his close associates refer to the protests against the 2009 presidential election as 'sedition,' and Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly mentioned these protests as a 'red line' for holding government positions. Meanwhile, Abbasali Kadkhodai, the spokesperson for the Guardian Council, stated on Saturday that 'these definitions and criteria have been established in accordance with the command' of the Supreme Leader. According to Mr. Kadkhodai, some other details regarding the conditions for presidential candidates, including the exact age of candidates, must be determined by a law passed by the parliament. In every presidential election, the Guardian Council disqualifies hundreds of candidates and only approves a few who are affiliated with the Islamic Republic. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, two former presidents of Iran, along with several members of parliament, are among the candidates disqualified in previous elections.