Response of Guardian Council Member to Rouhani's Position on Minou Khalighi

Siamak Rahpeyk, a member of the Guardian Council, responded on Saturday to the remarks of Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, regarding Minou Khalighi, the elected representative of the parliament, and her disqualification after the elections. According to a report on Saturday, May 1, by Fars News Agency, quoting Mr. Rahpeyk, there is no ruling in the country's constitution regarding the form of 'regulation and issuance of representatives' credentials, and the interpretation made in this regard is incorrect. Hassan Rouhani had previously stated, citing the constitution of the Islamic Republic, that 'only the parliament can review the credentials of representatives' and 'no other institution can interfere in this.' Mr. Rouhani added that when a person wins an election, their credentials must be reviewed in the parliament. The President of Iran also mentioned that in the process of reviewing the credentials of elected representatives, 'no other institution can interfere.' In defense of the President's position, the day after, Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran, also wrote a letter to Hassan Rouhani asking him to instruct the Ministry of Interior to issue the credentials of Minou Khalighi, the third elected representative from Isfahan in the tenth parliamentary elections, whose votes were annulled by the Guardian Council. Minou Khalighi won in the first round of the recent parliamentary elections in the Isfahan constituency and was introduced as the elected representative of this city. However, after a while, despite the confirmation of the elections in Isfahan by the Guardian Council, Siamak Rahpeyk, the spokesperson for the Central Election Monitoring Board, announced that Ms. Khalighi's votes were 'void.' Now, Mr. Rahpeyk has stated: 'After the elections are confirmed by the Guardian Council in terms of qualifications and constituencies, the result is communicated to the executive body, and thereafter the monitoring board and the executive board must sign and approve the representatives' credentials.' From the remarks of this member of the Guardian Council, it can be inferred that this council can even decide on the qualification or disqualification of a representative after the elections, representatives who can only participate in elections with the approval of the Guardian Council. This member of the Guardian Council emphasized the 'absolute and general right of the Guardian Council to oversee elections based on the constitution' and said: 'According to the law, the committee reviewing representatives in the parliament will pertain to that section which the Guardian Council has not commented on.' Siamak Rahpeyk also indirectly advised Hassan Rouhani to 'be careful in stating the principles and legal provisions of the constitution.' In this context, the Minister of Interior stated: 'There is no legal way to send Minou Khalighi's credentials.'