Mir Saleem: People Will Never Vote for Military and Judicial Elements

Mostafa Mir Saleem, the candidate of the Islamic Coalition Party in the presidential elections, accused a group known as the Popular Front of Revolutionary Forces (JAMNA) of using the facilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the presidential elections. A local newspaper, Atre Yas, reported on Saturday that Mir Saleem criticized the 'hegemony' of some principlist parties and the performance of JAMNA during a meeting with members of the Islamic Coalition Party in Arak. According to the report, Mr. Mir Saleem stated that 'if JAMNA acted more cohesively than the Islamic Coalition Party during the elections, it was solely due to its use of military institution resources.' This principlist candidate recalled: 'If people see a military institution engaged in battle on the front lines, they will support it with everything they have and will sacrifice their lives for it. However, if they realize that a military institution is going to take responsibility for an administration, they will reject support for it due to its possession of military weapons.' He added, 'This is true everywhere in the world, so people never vote positively for military and judicial elements.' Previously, Hassan Rouhani had accused the IRGC of using its resources in favor of his rival, Ebrahim Raisi. He had, among other things, addressed Raisi in the third presidential debate, saying, 'Ask those who bring crowds for you by bus from cities, from those revolutionary and security institutions that bring them for you, where their money comes from?' At that time, Ali Saeedi, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC, announced that this institution would not interfere in the elections, although Saeedi himself had stated in 2012 that 'the inherent duty of the IRGC is to logically and reasonably engineer the elections.' Critics of the Iranian government also consider a speech by Mohammad Ali Jafari, the former commander of the IRGC, released in 2014, as evidence of 'fraud' in the 2009 presidential elections, citing Jafari's remarks that the 'concern and red line' of the IRGC was that reformists 'would come to power again.' However, Jafari stated in March 2017 that 'no one among the IRGC members and commanders has the right to interfere politically and factionally in the elections as in the past.' Ali Motahari and Mostafa Kaveh Kabi, two members of parliament, had also previously accused the IRGC of interfering in the 9th parliamentary elections, but officials of this institution denied these allegations. Mir Saleem also stated in this meeting that JAMNA 'ordered' the Islamic Coalition Party that he must 'withdraw in favor of this party's candidate.' He added: 'I responded to them with regret that what positive thing has JAMNA done for the victory of principlists that today it gives orders to withdraw from the electoral competition?' Mir Saleem also emphasized that 'governing the country is not the same as running a court' and that Ebrahim Raisi 'has little executive experience,' and his weaknesses were evident in the presidential debates. The Islamic Coalition Party announced two days before the presidential elections that it would support Ebrahim Raisi by withdrawing its candidate, Mostafa Mir Saleem. However, shortly after this announcement, Mostafa Mir Saleem stated in a statement that 'I have not withdrawn, and I deny all statements regarding my withdrawal.' The group 'Islamic Revolutionary Forces Popular Front' or 'JAMNA' was established in early December 2016 and includes representatives from some principlist groups. Ebrahim Raisi and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf were two candidates from this group in the presidential elections, with Qalibaf withdrawing in favor of Raisi just before the elections. The Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary, the Society of Combatant Clergy of the Followers of the Line of Imam and Leadership, and the Stability Front group supported Ebrahim Raisi in the presidential elections. According to the report from Atre Yas, Mr. Mir Saleem also stated in this meeting: 'If party activities are strengthened, no individual will enter elections without party backing and based on individuality.' He added: 'Qalibaf was just an individual who entered the elections, but not only did he not achieve anything, but his name is also no longer remembered.' On Sunday, August 1, Mir Saleem also criticized the performance of the Islamic Revolutionary Forces Popular Front and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in an interview with Iran newspaper. He stated that during the presidential election period in the Islamic Coalition Party, he had said that there were 'violations in the performance of the municipality that needed to be addressed.' According to Mr. Mir Saleem, the Islamic Coalition Party ultimately decided that there should be no 'division' in the principlist front and that attention should be paid to the 'main rival,' namely Hassan Rouhani. In the presidential debates, Mostafa Mir Saleem, along with Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Ebrahim Raisi, strongly criticized Hassan Rouhani and his government's actions.