Rouhani: Reports to the Leader are False; Ghalibaf: You Made False Promises to the People

Hassan Rouhani, the President and a candidate in the upcoming elections in Iran, on Monday, May 15, accused his opponents of giving "false reports" about his government to the Leader of the Islamic Republic during a speech in Tabriz. On the same day, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, one of Rouhani's electoral rivals, accused him in a speech in Rasht of making "false promises" regarding solving problems in 100 days. According to the state news agency IRNA, on the same day, Ebrahim Raisi, another presidential candidate, gave a speech at the mosque in Yasuj, the capital of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. With four days left until the Iranian presidential elections, candidates can use the remaining time for campaigning until Thursday, in addition to some pre-recorded and live programs. According to ILNA, Hassan Rouhani said in the Shahid Pour Sharifi sports complex in Tabriz: "Some people are too embarrassed to say that our program is from eight years ago. My brother! Pumping money does not solve problems. We want there to be no lies in this country, but they still lie." He added: "They say the government has accepted the 2030 document while the government says it implements Iranian and Islamic culture. They have become so brazen that they send false reports to the Leader." The UNESCO 2030 educational document emphasizes issues such as environmental education, gender equality, equal social opportunities for women and men, human rights, eliminating discrimination against minorities, and a culture of peace and non-violence. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated on Sunday that the implementation of this document is unauthorized and declared that the Islamic Republic will not submit to documents like the UNESCO 2030 document. Despite this opposition from the Leader, Hassan Rouhani emphasized a few days later adherence to this document "within the framework of Iranian laws and culture." On Monday, Rouhani also asked: "Why are there so many accusations against Rouhani and his government? Why does state media act against this government?" He also said: "My request is that each person goes to the ballot boxes with 11 others on Friday" and added: "Some things cannot be accomplished with a 51% vote, but a higher vote will be effective." On Monday, it was reported that Mehdi Karroubi, a leader of the 2009 protests, announced that he would participate in the upcoming presidential elections and vote for Hassan Rouhani. A day earlier, Mohammad Khatami, the former President of Iran, also expressed his support for Hassan Rouhani in the presidential elections on May 29. According to Tasnim news agency, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, a candidate in the twelfth presidential election, addressed Rouhani's government on Monday: "Four years is not a short time to refer problems to the previous government. You made false promises to the people about solving problems in 100 days." Rouhani had previously responded to a similar criticism regarding his promise to solve problems in 100 days by saying: "I said if I succeed in the elections, I will announce the first 100-day actions, but some destructive people said that I claimed I would solve problems in 100 days. The person who solved problems overnight was someone else; we are not that person." Ghalibaf accused Rouhani's government of "weakness and inefficiency" and said: "Unfortunately, when they do not have a proper response, they refer to the previous government, which shows the weakness of the current government that makes this statement." He continued: "Our response to them is that the previous government was yours. When the record of the government is not defensible, their excuse is that they say they are not allowed to work; who is preventing you from working? The one who does not let you work is the same weakness of management and the aristocratic and merchant-like nature of your group." This principlist candidate added: "When they do not have a defensible record, they tell the people that if this happens, that will happen, and if this government changes, the new government will definitely build walls on the sidewalks; if you say this in front of a boiled chicken, it will laugh." On Monday, Sadegh Larijani, the head of the Iranian judiciary, said: "Unfortunately, some candidates have acted as if they are the opposition to the system and have taken steps to blacken and question the legal institutions of the system, which certainly goes against national interests." According to Mizan news agency, he, speaking at a meeting of senior judicial officials, called on the people to vote for those who pursue the "revolutionary discourse" and "not those who may accompany promoters of vulgarity to gather a few votes." In this context, another judicial official also reacted to Rouhani's criticism of the judiciary, raising two topics of execution and wall-building in the electoral competition. Several members of the European Parliament: Iran should free political prisoners before the elections. Khatami's support for Rouhani; Larijani: I have not expressed an opinion about the candidates.