Khodadadi: The Authority for Oversight of Representatives is Not Defined in Law

The spokesperson of the Guardian Council denied statements attributed to him regarding the council's oversight of parliamentary representatives during their term, stating that the 'authority' for oversight of representatives is not defined in the 'General Policies of Elections' and that a law must be passed in this regard. Abbasali Khodadadi, on Wednesday, November 5, in an interview with Khabar Online in response to a question about whether his statements and those of Ahmad Jannati, the secretary of the Guardian Council, implied oversight of the council over representatives during their term, said: 'No, such a subject has not been stated.' He added: 'We did not say that the Guardian Council should play this oversight role; we said that the Guardian Council gives its opinion until the confirmation of the credentials of the elected representatives, and after the confirmation of the credentials, there is no longer a procedure for the Guardian Council to express an opinion, but it was necessary for this work to be done.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in paragraph 13 of the 'General Policies of Elections' issued at the end of October, called for 'determining the necessary mechanisms for the proper execution of representative duties, adherence to the oath, preventing financial, economic, and moral abuse, and taking necessary actions in case of the loss or discovery of the lack of conditions for parliamentary representation in the elected.' Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Guardian Council on November 1 stated that from now on, the council's 'oversight' over parliamentary representatives will be 'continuous' and will continue even after the confirmation of credentials. Ahmad Jannati, the secretary of the Guardian Council, also emphasized on Tuesday, November 4, that 'oversight over representatives should not be ceremonial' and expressed hope that with the implementation of the 'General Policies of Elections,' there would be 'better' oversight over parliamentary representatives. On the same day, Ali Motahari, the vice president of the parliament, reacted to these statements, stating that oversight of the representatives' comments during their term would 'destroy their freedom and independence,' and representatives would become 'sycophantic and obsequious.' According to Mr. Motahari, a law should be passed in this regard, which could be the parliament itself and the law for oversight of representatives' behavior, which 'is better as it is.' The Iranian parliament passed a law in 2012 titled 'Parliament's Oversight of Representatives' which states that 'a supervisory board on representatives' behavior' is formed in each parliamentary term. Actions related to the rights of parliamentary representation, such as commenting and stating positions on domestic and foreign issues, are not subject to this law. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Guardian Council also confirmed Mr. Motahari's view that the authority for oversight of parliamentary representatives is not defined in the 'General Policies of Elections' and that a law must be passed in this regard. Mr. Khodadadi regarding the oversight of the 'Supervisory Board on Representatives' behavior stated: 'Logically, it does not matter whether the oversight authority is inside or outside the parliament.' He also announced that 'logically, it is better that the mechanism for oversight of representatives' behavior be outside the parliament, but ultimately it depends on the passage of law.' On Wednesday, several members of parliament protested the statements of the Guardian Council members. According to ISNA news agency, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran, in a warning stated that the Guardian Council's objection to the bill for the permanent continuation of some provisions of the country's development programs is 'against the constitution.'