Representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC: Neutrality in Elections is a Big Lie

Ali Saidi, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has described the slogans of being 'cross-factional' and 'neutrality' in elections as a 'big lie' and referred to the issue of a 'Leadership Council' as a 'new sedition'. According to a report from Fars News Agency on Friday, February 11, Mr. Saidi, speaking to a group of Basij members in the city of Gorgan, urged the Iranian people not to be deceived by some seemingly polite and benevolent movements. He evaluated the recent discussions about the 'Leadership Council' as a 'new sedition' and a 'trivial' topic pursued by a 'specific' faction that should be 'watched closely'. It seems that Ali Saidi is referring to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, who is recognized as one of the defenders of the 'Leadership Council' in the Islamic Republic. With the increasing election fervor in Iran, Rafsanjani has once again raised the issue of the 'Leadership Council', which has faced strong reactions from supporters of Ali Khamenei. Many of them have launched fierce attacks against him in their speeches and positions without directly mentioning Rafsanjani's name. Ali Saidi, among the clerics close to the Supreme Leader, has recently directed sharp indirect attacks at both Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Hassan Rouhani. In his latest criticisms and attacks against these two, he referred to them as a faction that has 'entered the field to change values'. Mr. Saidi stated that they have adopted titles such as independent, cross-factional, and neutral, and that the people should be vigilant that being cross-factional, as defined by this faction, is the same as forgetting revolutionary principles. The representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC described the behavior of this faction as following the 'behavioral conduct of Abu Musa Ash'ari' and stated that being 'cross-factional' is a role played by the 'seditionists of 2009' who are seeking to perform it again. In another part of his speech, he referred to the elections on March 7 and added, 'Our expectation from the people is that they do not vote for those who are enamored with the West and imperialism.' Ali Saidi, like other clerics and military personnel, has made this request at a time when the Guardian Council has disqualified many candidates for the parliamentary elections. According to the Ministry of Interior, 49% of the candidates for the tenth parliamentary elections have been disqualified by the Guardian Council, and Hassan Rouhani's efforts to approve some of them have so far been unsuccessful.