Hassan Rouhani Criticizes 'Destruction and Accusations' Against His Government Ahead of Elections

Hassan Rouhani criticized the 'lies, destruction, and accusations' against his government ahead of the presidential elections, urging conservative candidates to pursue 'healthy competition' and speak about their 'merits' and programs. According to ILNA news agency, the Iranian president stated on Saturday, April 8, that 'no one will achieve anything through lies, destruction, and accusations, and one cannot reach the roof of justice with the ladder of lies.' He emphasized that anyone entering the election arena should seek 'healthy competition' and discuss their 'merits' and programs. Rouhani also mentioned that 'if everyone goes to the ballot box, undoubtedly, the ballot box will perform miracles.' Candidates from the 'Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces (JAMNA)' severely criticized Rouhani's government during a meeting on Thursday, April 6. Alireza Zakani, one of the candidates, accused Rouhani of 'opening the hands of economic corruptors.' Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, also criticized Rouhani's government and economic policies, stating that the continuation of this government would turn Iran into the second Sudan. In recent weeks, several candidates from this group, including Mehrdad Bazrpash and Rostam Qasemi, have harshly criticized the government's performance in interviews and speeches. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has criticized the government's economic performance and expressed doubts about the accuracy of government statistics several times in the months leading up to the presidential elections. He named the new year as 'Resistance Economy: Production, Employment' and stated that there is a 'significant gap between the actions taken and the expectations of the people and the leadership.' In recent weeks, Friday prayer leaders have also severely criticized the government's economic performance. Hours after Khamenei's Nowruz message, Rouhani defended his government's performance in a speech, stating that 'even ten future governments will not be able to solve all problems,' but the government has chosen a 'correct' path towards reducing problems. Some accusations that conservatives have made regarding economic corruption against Rouhani's government are related to the activities of his brother, Hossein Fereydoun. Some conservative members of parliament have previously accused Hossein Fereydoun of being connected to Rasoul Daniyalzadeh, a major bank debtor who was arrested on January 15, 2017. Meanwhile, Fars News Agency reported that Hossein Fereydoun appeared at the prosecutor's office on Saturday, but the reason for his presence was not specified. This news was removed from the agency a few hours later. Among the conservative candidates for the upcoming elections, Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi, is mentioned as the most serious figure. Reports indicate that Raisi has managed to surpass other candidates in internal voting within the 'Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces (JAMNA).' However, Mohammad Ali Najafi, a member of the Central Council of the Executives of Construction Party, stated on Saturday in an interview with IRNA that 'according to received news,' both the Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces has faced disagreements in selecting Raisi and Raisi has 'doubts' about participating in the 96 elections. In this regard, Gholamhossein Karbaschi, Secretary-General of the Executives of Construction Party, also mentioned in an interview with Shargh newspaper that people are looking for candidates' programs in this election. He added, 'Governance is different from managing a central organization like Astan Quds, where people work with love and devotion and offer their donations; it is different from a government that is in a position to respond to demands.' Astan Quds Razavi is one of the major financial institutions under the supervision of the Supreme Leader. In recent weeks, the distribution of hundreds of tons of flour in Khuzestan province by this institution has been reflected in the media, and some social media users, as well as Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran in parliament, have compared this action to the distribution of potatoes by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government before the 2009 presidential election campaign. Ebrahim Raisi, a former judicial official, was previously a member of the decision-making committee for the executions of the 1980s and has been mentioned by Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in a voice file released a few months ago by his son Ahmad Montazeri. However, Raisi has not yet directly responded to this issue.