Rafsanjani: The Islamic and Republican Aspects Have Been Weakened in Recent Years

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of Iran's Expediency Council, stated in his campaign video for the Assembly of Experts elections that the 'Islamic aspect and the republican aspect' of the Islamic Republic have been 'somewhat weakened in recent years.' According to the Entekhab website, Rafsanjani expressed hope that these two aspects would be 'strengthened' in the upcoming elections. He pointed out various 'issues' in the conduct of elections, including 'the approval of qualifications, disqualifications, and ballot counting,' which he deemed as factors weakening the 'popular aspect of the system' and emphasized that 'these weaknesses must be compensated.' He added, 'In the Islamic aspect... unfortunately, we are witnessing many corruptions and unethical behaviors... moral corruptions such as slandering, disputes, conflicts, and lies have increased.' Media close to Rafsanjani previously announced that this campaign video marked his first appearance on state television since the events of 2009. In his last Friday prayer sermon on July 26, 2009, Rafsanjani called for the release of those arrested after the elections, consolation for the victims, and the creation of an environment for expressing diverse viewpoints on state television. During that sermon, protesters against the 2009 presidential election results chanted slogans that security forces dispersed with tear gas and batons. In recent years, conservative media have accused Rafsanjani and his son Mehdi of planning the 2009 protests. The head of the Expediency Council has repeatedly protested against the widespread disqualification of candidates for the parliamentary elections in recent weeks. On February 1, he addressed the Guardian Council members regarding the disqualification of Hassan Khomeini in the Assembly of Experts elections, asking, 'Where did you get your qualifications? Who gave you permission to sit in one place and judge for the government, parliament, and other entities and take control of powers?' His remarks drew severe criticism from several Friday prayer leaders and conservative media, with some conservative news websites reporting that a number of clerics have filed complaints against Rafsanjani with the Special Court for Clergy. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson and first deputy of the judiciary, also labeled his comments as 'public disturbance, insult, and incitement to illegal actions,' stating that 'a case will certainly be formed for these matters and action will be taken in due time.' In another part of his remarks on Friday, the head of the Expediency Council invited people to participate in the elections and emphasized that 'everyone should stop the insults, destruction, and disputes and let the people cast their votes as they see fit.' Meanwhile, on Friday, Rafsanjani's campaign headquarters wrote a letter to the Minister of Interior requesting clarification on the reason for the removal of their banners on February 11 and the brief detention of several young collaborators. The campaign for the Assembly of Experts elections began on Thursday. However, according to ILNA news agency, Rafsanjani's campaign posters for the Assembly of Experts elections, which were installed along the route of the February 11 rally, were 'removed.' These posters featured images of Rafsanjani alongside Hassan Khomeini and Hassan Rouhani. ILNA also reported that publications against Rafsanjani and Hassan Khomeini were distributed during the February 11 rally. According to this report, at the same time, posters of the conservatives' coalition for the Assembly elections, which were placed in vehicles of one of the 'military institutions,' were distributed at the rally. Hours after the airing of Rafsanjani's campaign video, Reza Soleimani, the public relations manager of the Expediency Council, accused state television of 'censoring' the video. Soleimani stated that Rafsanjani spoke for 23 minutes during filming, and he, 'in collaboration with the editor and program manager,' selected 18 minutes of his remarks to deliver to state television. The public relations manager of the Expediency Council wrote in a note published on several websites that state television had 'censored' Rafsanjani's remarks and omitted parts of his speech. He did not specify which parts were removed but noted that 'the complete and uncensored text of these remarks is accessible in newspapers and websites.' At the same time, the Entekhab website reported that alongside the airing of Rafsanjani's campaign video, his list of supported candidates for the Assembly of Experts elections in Tehran was published. This list did not include Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, Ahmad Jannati, Mohammad Yazdi, and Mohammad Reza Modarresi Yazdi, three members of the Guardian Council who are on the list of the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary, but included Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, the Secretary-General of the Combatant Clergy Association. Common members of both lists include Hassan Rouhani, Mohammad Mohammadi Rishahri, Ghorbanali Dori Najafabadi, Mohsen Qomi, Abolfazl Mir-Mohammadi, Mohammad Imami Kashani, and Ebrahim Amini. The list supported by Rafsanjani also includes Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence, Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, the head of the World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, and Mohsen Esmaeili, a legal member of the Guardian Council. Other members of Rafsanjani's supported list include Mohammad Sajadi Atta Abadi, who was the judge in the case of Hashem Aghajari in the Supreme Court and ruled to overturn his death sentence in 2003. Hashem Bat'hai, Mohammad Hassan Zali, and Nasrollah Shahabadi are other members of Rafsanjani's supported list.