Jannati: They Want to Seize the Assembly to Take Control of the System's Power

Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of Iran's Guardian Council, while acknowledging the current Assembly of Experts, stated: "Some are seeking to weaken the power of leadership and the Guardianship of the Jurist in the country to enter the Assembly of Experts and realize their plans." According to the Qom Seminary News Agency (Rasa), Mr. Jannati added: "Some want to seize the power of the Assembly to take control of the system and bring any government they desire to power." The Secretary of the Guardian Council emphasized that "the importance of the Assembly of Experts is much higher than that of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, as it decides on leadership," and mentioned that "some expect individuals who do not have the necessary qualifications to enter the Assembly of Experts." The upcoming elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts will be held simultaneously in Esfand of this year. This is not the first time since the rise of Hassan Rouhani's government that Ahmad Jannati has warned about the future composition of these two assemblies. Mr. Jannati, as the Secretary of the Guardian Council, is responsible for confirming the qualifications of candidates for both elections. In several past elections, this council has prevented thousands of candidates with reformist and democratic views from running. The Secretary of the Guardian Council had previously warned about the "occupation" of these two assemblies by "those who have captured the first stronghold." In another part of his latest remarks, Ahmad Jannati expressed regret that "the government clearly announces preparations for entering the elections." He referred to the council as an institution that "maintains the integrity of elections" and added: "The Guardian Council does not allow unqualified individuals to enter the Assembly." It seems that the Secretary's criticism is directed at statements made in recent months by Eshaq Jahangiri, the First Vice President of Hassan Rouhani, and Ali Younesi, the assistant to the President. Mr. Jahangiri, a member of the Central Council of the Construction Workers Party, recently urged reformist groups to "take the issue of elections seriously" and stated that if a good Assembly is not formed in the upcoming elections, the government's work will remain unfinished. In Esfand 1392, Ali Younesi, the special assistant to the President of Iran for ethnic and religious minorities, urged members of Hassan Rouhani's electoral headquarters in Sistan and Baluchestan to "remain active" and "start their activities for the Assembly elections from now on." The Secretary's criticism of these statements comes at a time when Mr. Jannati himself openly supported Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the then President and candidate in that election, before the 10th presidential election in 1388.