Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: There is No Reason for My Disqualification

As some conservatives request the Guardian Council to disqualify Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from the presidential elections, the former president of Iran stated in an interview that there is no reason for his disqualification. Ahmad Tavakoli, a former parliament member and a prominent conservative figure, in a letter to the Guardian Council, listed reasons he believes justify Ahmadinejad's disqualification, emphasizing that the council members share in the 'good and evil' of the policies, actions, and positions of the candidates they approve, and they must inform the 'noble nation' of the 'definitive disqualification' of the former president. Among his reasons for disqualifying Ahmadinejad are 'failed attempts to gain unchecked power,' 'disobedience to the leader's order regarding the appointment of Mashai,' 'insubordination regarding the order of the Supreme Leader in the dismissal of the Minister of Intelligence,' 'illegal annexation of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization to the Tourism Organization,' 'appointment of special representatives,' 'failure to send government resolutions to the Speaker of Parliament,' and 'illegal financial burden of provincial travel resolutions.' He expressed regret that the Islamic Consultative Assembly did not assess Ahmadinejad's 'political competence' so that, according to him, if it had, 'today he could not boldly propose a devastating and anti-national promise to increase monthly cash subsidies to 250,000 tomans for everyone.' According to reports from Iranian media, including the Shargh newspaper, '23 complaints against Ahmadinejad' have been registered in the judiciary. However, Iranian judicial officials have only stated that his case is under review. In the latest remarks from these officials, Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, the judiciary spokesperson, reiterated on April 27 that 'the case of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hamid Baghaei is open.' Previously, some media and figures close to conservatives severely criticized Ahmadinejad's presence in the 12th presidential election, deeming it contrary to the order of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, who had warned him against candidacy last October. In an interview with the Chinese television network 'Phoenix,' which was published by the government-affiliated website, Ahmadinejad reacted to news of his disqualification, stating that 'there is no reason for this event.' When asked by a reporter how he would react if disqualified, the former president of Iran replied, 'Be patient; you will understand in due time.' In another part of this interview, Ahmadinejad considers the agreement between Iran and six world powers known as the 'JCPOA' to be an insignificant contract, stating that 'there is nothing special in it' and that 'even if the JCPOA did not exist,' the UN sanctions 'would not have had much impact.' Concurrently with these developments, the political forecast market regarding the fate of presidential candidates is heating up, with Abbas Abdi stating that the Guardian Council will disqualify Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hamid Baghaei. According to the Entekhab website, he also predicted that conservatives Ebrahim Raisi and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf would not withdraw in favor of each other. Mohammad Hossein Safar Harandi, who was the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance during Ahmadinejad's presidency, also stated in Qom that 'Ahmadinejad does not expose himself to the Guardian Council and must save himself from this predicament because the option of disqualification for this individual means the end of his career; however, if he does not reach this stage, there will be opportunities for change and return in the future.' The Iranian presidential election is scheduled for May 18 of this year, and according to statistics released by the Iranian Ministry of Interior, more than 1,600 people have registered to run. However, reports from Iranian media indicate that only 30 of these candidates are well-known individuals. Among these candidates are Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of the Astan Quds, Hassan Rouhani, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president, Hamid Baghaei, the former vice president, Mohammad Hashemi, the former head of Iran's radio and television, Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president, and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the mayor of Tehran.