Mohsen Rezaei, in a post on the social media platform Instagram, criticized the reformists, stating that they lied during the elections by claiming they had 30 candidates, which he argued was a betrayal to the people. On Sunday, March 13, news agencies Nasim Online and Tasnim reported that Rezaei said these statements from the reformists were 'firstly false and secondly could have disappointed the people.' This Instagram post from Rezaei was a response to remarks made in late February by Hossein Marashi, head of the provincial working group of the Reformist Policy Council, regarding the disqualification of reformist candidates. Marashi had stated that the Guardian Council approved only 30 out of 3,000 reformist candidates. Nevertheless, he added that 'we are protesting but will not abandon the field,' a stance that led to the participation of reformists in the elections held on March 7. Following the relative success of reformist candidates in these elections, Rezaei noted that reformists had 'two and a half times' the number of candidates for parliamentary seats. He added that conservatives had 'three times' the number of parliamentary seats and that the number of independent candidates was almost 'twice' the current number of seats in parliament. This member of the Expediency Discernment Council stated that he announced this based on a report from 'a governmental security agency' that 'some were upset' at that time. Rezaei mentioned that his intention in stating this before the elections was to 'prevent, as much as possible, the disappointment of the people regarding participation in the elections.' He stated, 'A revolutionary always speaks in favor of the people and supports them,' and 'I am a revolutionary, and with God's help, I will not abandon this approach and will never betray the people.' In his post, Rezaei did not refer to any specific individual or group and did not mention who was 'upset' by his statements regarding the composition and political orientation of the candidates. During the tenth parliamentary elections held on March 7 in Iran, the Guardian Council disqualified many reformist candidates in Tehran and various cities across Iran. Despite these widespread disqualifications, reformists participated in the elections and managed to defeat conservatives outright in Tehran and achieve significant victories in other cities.
Mohsen Rezaei: Reformists Lied and Betrayed in the Elections
Mohsen Rezaei criticized reformists for allegedly lying about their candidate numbers during the elections, claiming it was a betrayal to the people. His comments were a response to the disqualification of many reformist candidates, and he emphasized the importance of preventing public disappointment in electoral participation. This situation highlights ongoing tensions within Iranian politics, particularly between reformists and conservatives.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Mohsen Rezaei criticized reformists for allegedly misrepresenting their candidate numbers in recent elections, claiming it was a betrayal to the public. His comments were in response to the disqualification of many reformist candidates, emphasizing the need to maintain public confidence in electoral participation.
- Rezaei claimed reformists had falsely stated they had 30 candidates.
- Despite disqualifications, reformists achieved significant victories in recent elections.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's political system is characterized by a struggle between reformists, who advocate for change, and conservatives, who maintain traditional power structures. The Guardian Council plays a crucial role in determining which candidates can run for office.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%