Raisi Once Again Calls for Investigation into 'Engineered Violations' in Elections

Ebrahim Raisi, the presidential candidate, accused Hassan Rouhani's government of committing 'engineered violations' in the elections and stated that the Guardian Council's failure to address these 'violations' harms 'public trust.' On Sunday, June 7, during a speech in Mashhad, Mr. Raisi described the events of the 2017 presidential election as 'unprecedented' and claimed that 'there were many engineered violations in the elections.' He alleged that 'all the resources of ministries, governors, and health departments... became the election headquarters for the government candidate.' This candidate for the 2017 presidential election also stated that 'a government that cannot act according to the law should not enter the elections.' Mr. Raisi also cited examples of 'using state resources in elections,' such as 'disbursing subsidies to individuals whose subsidies had been cut,' 'paying off farmers' debts on the eve of the election,' 'the Iran newspaper slandering opponents,' and 'the candidacy of the first vice president to defend the government.' In response to such accusations, Hassan Rouhani had previously accused the institutions under the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, including the Revolutionary Guards, Astan Quds Razavi, state media, and the judiciary, of interfering in the elections in favor of Mr. Raisi. Mr. Raisi also mentioned that in areas where he received more votes, individuals 'had to wait for hours outside the polling stations' and could not vote. Mr. Raisi's supporters have continuously accused the Ministry of Interior since Friday, May 29, of attempting to influence the elections through actions such as not sending ballot papers to polling stations where this candidate had a higher chance of winning. However, officials from the Ministry of Interior announced that the necessary ballot papers had been sent to areas that faced shortages. Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani has also implicitly accused the Guardian Council of preventing his votes from reaching 28 million by agreeing too late to register national IDs instead of names and surnames. In response to these statements, the spokesperson for the Guardian Council attributed the shortcomings to the Ministry of Interior and stated that they had given 'incorrect reports' to Hassan Rouhani. Ebrahim Raisi and his campaign manager announced that they had submitted evidence of the alleged 'violations' to the Guardian Council and the Attorney General's office, but they have not yet published the details of their claims. Earlier, the Kayhan newspaper, in its issue on Thursday, June 4, reported instances such as 'putting on green and purple wristbands' by election officials as 'electoral violations.' The newspaper wrote that in some polling stations in cities where Ebrahim Raisi's votes exceeded those of other candidates, unmarked ballots had been distributed, which were later invalidated due to the lack of a stamp. Kayhan also claimed that Hassan Rouhani's campaign offices were open on election day and 'played music while supporters gathered in front of them.' According to Abbasali Kadkhodaei, the spokesperson for the Guardian Council, this council will announce its opinion on the elections of May 29 on Tuesday, June 9. Mr. Kadkhodaei stated that in the council's meeting on Sunday, reports from several experts about the elections were presented, and other reports would be reviewed on Tuesday. Ahmad Jannati, the secretary of the Guardian Council, stated on Wednesday, June 3, that he confirms the 'integrity of the elections,' but 'many violations' also occurred during the elections. He also called on those who allegedly committed 'major violations' in the elections to 'repent.' On the other hand, Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, the secretary-general of the Combatant Clergy Association, on Friday, called Ebrahim Raisi's votes 'legitimate' and reported that he had held a meeting with the secretary of the Guardian Council regarding the 'electoral violations.' Similar statements were echoed in the speeches of Friday prayer leaders in several cities in Iran, leading to strong protests from Iranian ministers. The statements of some principlist figures close to the Supreme Leader regarding 'violations' in the 2017 presidential election come at a time when they refer to the protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election as a 'sedition.' During the crackdown on protests following the 2009 election results, dozens of protesters were killed, and thousands were detained over several months, with hundreds of them sentenced to long prison terms in mass trials.