Mohammad Yazdi: Ali Larijani Should Correct the Election Law for the Sake of God

Mohammad Yazdi, a member of the Guardian Council, responded to Ali Larijani's objection regarding the cancellation of Sepanta Niknam's membership in the Yazd City Council, stating that if the Speaker of the Parliament wants to do something for God, he should correct the election law. In an interview with the principlist newspaper 'Sobhe No', Yazdi rejected Larijani's objection, saying that 'being the Speaker of the Parliament is not enough to say whatever comes to mind, and it would have been better to consult with legal experts and jurists before raising this issue to be informed about the legal and religious reasons for this action.' In response to Yazdi's defense of the Guardian Council's stance on the cancellation of Niknam's membership solely due to his Zoroastrian faith, Larijani stated that councils have laws that were approved years ago, and the Guardian Council's renewed comments on these laws are meaningless and disrupt the country's situation. However, Yazdi claims that Larijani's statements are 'inaccurate' and that the Guardian Council has 'performed a legal and religious act.' He noted that 'there have been similar cases 135 times before, and this is not the first time the Guardian Council has stated that part of a law is contrary to Sharia, and it may not be the last time either.' The Guardian Council member further attributed such disputes to 'weakness in the country's election law' and mentioned that he had written several letters to the Parliament urging them to correct the election law. He stated, 'In the previous term, I wrote a letter that Mr. Larijani, your term is ending, and if you want to do something for God, correct this election law. How can someone who is illiterate register to run for president? This law is weak, allowing over a thousand people to register for the presidency.' The registration situation for Iran's presidential elections, especially in recent terms, has drawn significant criticism and has sometimes become a subject of mockery and amusement. Most registrants have been unknown individuals lacking the necessary qualifications for holding the country's highest executive position. Among the registrants, even children were seen. Some even came as families or groups to register at the Ministry of Interior. This situation has led many political figures and officials to call for reforms in the election law.