Possible Resignation of Several Members of Tehran City Council in Protest Against Zakhani's Performance

The Tehran City Council is facing dissolution after 10 members threatened to resign if Alireza Zakhani, the mayor of this metropolis, does not step down. The newspaper Ham-Mihan reported on Tuesday, August 2, that Mehdi Chamran, the head of the Tehran City Council, has also expressed 'danger' regarding the 'possibility of dissolution' of this council. While Chamran had called for avoiding 'any marginalization' for 'service delivery' on Monday, reports indicate that he is tactically 'trying to dissuade the critical members of the council from their decision.' Following increased criticism of Alireza Zakhani's performance as mayor of Tehran, Chamran warned that 'if the current trend in the council continues as it has in recent weeks, the sixth council may also face the same fate as the first council.' He urged the members of the Tehran City Council not to fall into 'emotional and sudden decisions.' The conflict between the City Council and the mayor escalated when Narjes Soleimani, the daughter of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, who is a member of the council, openly questioned Zakhani's management in various areas and called for his resignation. This is while Ms. Soleimani was previously considered one of Zakhani's supporters. It seems that after his performance during the 14th presidential election campaign and the severe 'destruction' of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf by forces close to the Stability Front and Saeed Jalili, reports about Zakhani's performance during his management of Tehran's municipality took a negative turn. If 10 members of the 21-member Tehran City Council resign, the council will not reach a quorum and could be dissolved, just as internal disputes among reformists led to the dissolution of the Tehran City Council in its first term. According to Article 11 of the executive regulations of the City Council, when 'the decision-making sessions of the council fall below the quorum,' the Ministry of Interior will dissolve the city council, and automatically, the mayor of Tehran will also be dismissed, and an acting mayor will replace him. Zakhani had previously faced criticism from Tehran citizens for his decision to cut down trees and construct a mosque and cultural center in two parks, Qeytarieh and Laleh in Tehran, and a campaign for his removal had also been initiated. The number of signatures for Zakhani's removal from the Tehran municipality has reached one hundred thousand. However, after the presidential election, criticisms of his performance transcended ordinary citizens and were pursued by political figures. Some government media have referred to the disputes between the City Council and the mayor of Tehran as 'personal issues' between some members of the City Council and Zakhani. The newspaper Hamshahri, the organ of the Tehran municipality, has explicitly accused Narjes Soleimani of 'lying' against Zakhani. On social media, calls for Zakhani's resignation have reflected the dispute between 'supporters of Qalibaf and Zakhani' and the aftershocks following the election. Zakhani, who had also run in the 14th presidential election, was considered one of the 'cover' candidates and withdrew from the competition without supporting a specific candidate. He is noted as the mayor who has received the 'most warnings' from the Tehran City Council in the past three years. In response to the mass resignation of some members of the Tehran City Council, Zakhani stated: 'I will not comment on this matter. Everyone determines their own position. However, this is a very inappropriate action; we have interacted with the council and will continue to do so.'