Karbaschi: Security and Military Institutions Should Not Support Ahmadinejad, He Has No Position

Gholamhossein Karbaschi, the Secretary-General of the Construction Workers Party, stated that if the revolutionary, military, and security institutions and value-driven forces do not support Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the upcoming presidential elections in Iran, he has no position. In an interview with the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) published on Monday, September 6, he said, 'The fact that Ahmadinejad has visited a city and gathered a crowd around him is very different from being able to gain votes.' These remarks from the Secretary-General of the Construction Workers Party, which is considered a reformist party, come after Ahmadinejad's recent travels to various parts of Iran. During these trips, which the Iranian Ministry of Interior claims have not yet been confirmed as electoral, he has received a warm welcome from his supporters. Karbaschi believes that 'perhaps Ahmadinejad has a model in mind similar to Mr. Hashemi in 2013, where he could re-enter the arena and ultimately bring someone like Mr. Rouhani to power with support,' but added that 'these actions are an incomplete imitation of models because not everyone can be like Mr. Hashemi.' In recent months, as discussions about Ahmadinejad's potential candidacy in the 2021 presidential elections have entered the political and media space in Iran, several political figures and groups have commented on this issue. Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moghadam, spokesperson for the Combatant Clergy Association, is among those who stated last week that 'Ahmadinejad's political influence has ended' and that this influential and conservative clerical organization will not support his potential candidacy in the upcoming elections. The twelfth presidential election in Iran is scheduled for May 29, 2021. Ahmadinejad has not yet made any official comments regarding his candidacy in this election.