Seven Conditions for the Final Candidates of Reformists

The newspaper Etemad has published a news conference by Mohammad Reza Aref regarding the 'conditions for the final candidates of the reformists' on its front page, quoting the head of the Reformists' Policy Council emphasizing that 'our leading candidate is a reformist.' The newspaper stresses that the approval and signing of a charter defined by the High Election Policy Council of the reformists is also one of the conditions for candidates to be included in the final list of reformists. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, in a detailed interview with the Arman newspaper, stated: 'The two upcoming elections are among the most sensitive in our history.' The head of the Expediency Discernment Council implicitly defended the 'supervisory oversight' but criticized its implementation, stating: 'We also think about this law. The law that exists now is not being claimed to be changed under the current conditions. Because if it is to change, it may get worse. I believe that if this law is properly implemented and not acted against the law and arbitrarily, there will be no problem. The people must also prepare themselves for elections under such a law.' Meanwhile, the Resalat newspaper dedicated its front page to the reaction of Mohammad Momen, a member of the Guardian Council's jurists, to Hashemi Rafsanjani's previous remarks about the 'Leadership Council,' quoting this member as saying: 'The Leadership Council is against the Constitution.' The Shargh newspaper also highlighted another part of Mohammad Momen's statements, mentioning his 'oath' and quoting him: 'By God, we do not disqualify a reasonable person.' The Shargh newspaper reported that the head of the Blood Transfusion Organization stated that 'blood products have been monetized.' The head of the Blood Transfusion Organization of Iran confirmed the pricing of blood products, stating: 'A complete unit of blood still has no price, but blood products have been priced since Farvardin (March-April) of this year.' The Jahane San'at newspaper reported a 'six percent increase in dairy prices starting from the first of Dey (December 21).' The Iran newspaper reported on a 'global agreement for peace in Syria,' stating: 'The deadlock of the Syrian crisis is beginning to unravel. After months of negotiations and diplomatic efforts, the interested powers in Syria have finally reached a comprehensive agreement regarding the resolution of this country's protracted crisis and have approved a resolution outlining a roadmap for peace in Syria.' According to this newspaper, based on the Security Council resolution, 'a ceasefire and formal negotiations regarding political transition in Syria will begin in early January,' and 'the formation of an inclusive and non-sectarian government within six months' is also part of this resolution. The Iran newspaper emphasized that 'ISIS and the al-Nusra Front have been banned from participating in the negotiations,' while 'offensive and defensive actions against terrorist groups' will be carried out. This newspaper, close to the government, dedicated its front page to the air pollution in Tehran, reporting with the headline 'Tehran in Emergency Status' that 'the air pollution index has fluctuated around 150 for the second time in the past 10 days, reaching a level deemed unhealthy for certain groups in society, leading to the decision by relevant authorities to close all kindergartens and schools in Tehran, Shahriar, and Islamshahr.' The Javan newspaper, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, criticized the government on its front page for the return of air pollution, stating: 'The environmental government waited for the remedy of wind and rain.' This newspaper's allusion is to Hassan Rouhani's previous statement that 'the eleventh government is the environmental government.' The Javan newspaper also dedicated its front page to Es'haq Jahangiri, the first vice president, reporting with the headline 'Domestic Bottlenecks Post-Sanctions,' stating: 'The president has claimed several times that resolving the nuclear issue and lifting sanctions will solve all the people's problems, from the environment to drinking water.' This newspaper, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that Hassan Rouhani 'recently promised that sanctions would be lifted in Dey (December) and now, while people are eagerly awaiting the post-sanctions era and according to previous government promises, their livelihood problems will be resolved, the first vice president says he did not expect oil prices to drop below $60, and further declines below $30 could seriously harm the economy.' The Shargh newspaper dedicated its front page to Abolhasan Najafi, a linguist, scholar, and translator who has been a member of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature for over two decades, stating that he is currently 'unwell and bedridden,' and has expressed concerns about the financial support from the academy in case of hospitalization, saying: 'I am truly afraid that if my condition worsens and I end up in the hospital, how much the academy will help me financially or with hospitalization, as I have not yet received a satisfactory answer from the academy.' The seven conditions for the final candidates of the reformists were highlighted by the Etemad newspaper, which reported on Mohammad Reza Aref's news conference regarding the 'conditions for the final candidates of the reformists,' quoting the head of the Reformists' Policy Council emphasizing that 'our leading candidate is a reformist.' According to this newspaper, Mohammad Reza Aref stated that one of the conditions for candidates close to the reformists to be included in the electoral list of this political faction is 'signing the Reform Charter,' and said that candidates included in the final list of reformists must have conditions such as 'having a reformist background,' 'being known for integrity,' 'emphasizing the rotation of elites based on age and gender,' 'scientific and experiential capability,' 'good reputation and social acceptance,' and 'high electoral viability.' The Etemad newspaper emphasized that the approval and signing of a charter defined by the High Election Policy Council of the reformists is also one of the conditions for candidates to be included in the final list of reformists. According to this newspaper, Mohammad Reza Aref, speaking one day after the official start of the reformists' electoral activities at a press conference as the head of the High Policy Council, positively reacted to the remarks of Akbar Turkan, a member of the Central Council of the Moderation and Development Party, who said, 'The companions of 92 will be together in 94 as well,' expressing hope that supporters of the government and reformists would present a joint list in the elections. Etemad reported that Mohammad Reza Aref's press conference was not only dedicated to clarifying the status of the reform movement but also included two objections to the approach and method chosen by state media, stating that 'the smallest movement by our rival movement is covered in the national media, but to this day, not even once has the smallest news been published regarding the Reformists' Policy Council.' The head of the Reformists' Policy Council, referring to his consultations and discussions with 'figures of the system,' stated: 'The focus of my discussions with the system's elders was to examine ways to preserve social capital. Over the past two years, we have made efforts and precautions to ensure that our statements do not reflect the slightest divergence from the system and the revolution.' According to Etemad, Mohammad Reza Aref stated: 'We seek to hold a vibrant election and will present our discourse as an authentic movement, and we will continue this path as a religious obligation. They must allow us to work. We cannot work with irrelevant labeling. We have no expectations from any institution other than the implementation of the law.' This newspaper also quoted Ali Soufi, a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Iran Nation Alliance Party and responsible for three northern provinces in the Reformists' Policy Council, stating: 'We will not form an alliance with moderate principlists in the elections, but an alliance in the parliament is possible.' Ali Soufi emphasized that 'we will come with a united list in the elections,' stating: 'The biggest obstacle we see to the victory of reformists in the elections is actions outside the legal framework that have mainly created obstacles for reformists and led to arbitrary actions in the approval of reformist candidates.' Hashemi: The elections on the seventh of Esfand (February 26) are 'historical' and supervisory oversight is legal. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, in a detailed interview with the Arman newspaper, stated: 'The two elections we have ahead are among the most sensitive in our history.' According to the Arman newspaper, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani pointed out that 'the Islamic Consultative Assembly has more work to do, and the Assembly of Experts is a force ready for the day when, God forbid, it is needed to take action.' He stated: 'The Islamic Consultative Assembly must always be in the field and has a lot of work to do. The people and political movements are sensitive to both the Assembly and the Experts. Moreover, the Assembly of Experts' work is leadership. Leadership is not like a party. The leader is the father of all people, and all people must equally have comfort and security under the leader's wing. If we want to look at its importance, from the perspective of public and healthy elections, the Experts' elections can be more essential than the Assembly. Because leadership must be general and not have a specific section that monopolizes leadership.' The head of the Expediency Discernment Council, in an interview with Hossein Abdollahi, the editor-in-chief of the Arman newspaper, defended 'supervisory oversight' but criticized its implementation, stating: 'In any case, we have an election law, and part of the issues related to qualifications and disqualifications has come to the Expediency Discernment Council due to disagreements between the Assembly and the Guardian Council and has been completed. We also think about this law. The law that exists now. No one claims to change the law under the current conditions. Because if it is to change, it may get worse. I believe that if this law is properly implemented and not acted against the law and arbitrarily, there will be no problem. The people must also prepare themselves for elections under such a law.' According to the Arman newspaper, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani described his invitation to Hassan Khomeini to participate in the Assembly of Experts elections as an 'official invitation,' stating that Hassan Khomeini is the heir of the 'founder of the Islamic system' and 'in terms of personality, he is both educated and familiar with political, global, economic, historical issues and the interests of the country. He meets all the conditions of an Experts candidate. He is certainly a jurist because he teaches advanced courses and has good students,' adding that 'I told him that you cannot remain neutral and must enter the field. However, some friends who work with him say you should not become a target for political attacks. In my opinion, he was also willing and announced his presence.' He also confirmed Hassan Rouhani's absence from the Expediency Discernment Council meetings but stated that the president does not attend these meetings due to 'a lot of work' and 'limited opportunities,' but 'many of our relationships are not media-related. In any issue that I or he deem important, we communicate, and some issues are raised over the phone and some in person. Recently, due to the special circumstances of the implementation of the JCPOA, our discussions have increased, and we consult and cooperate.' Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani also mentioned that some 'are afraid and say that the presence of women tightens the space for them, and wherever they come, they advance and make their place. Our women have grown. They have come to universities, and now they see this issue as a problem and say that if we do not stop this, women will take over all universities and later these same women will become the country's managers,' but 'women must come to the field, and they will come, and even if we do not want, they will come. Especially in Iran, where women, after a period of being isolated, are now aware and will not back down.' According to the Arman newspaper, Hashemi Rafsanjani, regarding the situation of Mehdi Hashemi after his conviction and imprisonment, stated: 'Mehdi insists on broadcasting the court sessions' film, saying that if it is not broadcasted, he will go on a dry hunger strike,' and 'I also agree that we should insist on broadcasting it. No defendant wants to reveal everything to the world, but we love this work and believe everything should be said. Of course, the judiciary has not said anything about this yet, but Mehdi insists, and I have prevented his hunger strike.' 'Blood products have been monetized.' The Shargh newspaper reported that the head of the Blood Transfusion Organization stated that 'blood products have been monetized.' 'The Blood Transfusion Organization is set to sell the blood it collects for free from the public at a price of 30,500 tomans,' this news was reported by Shahrzad Hemmati, a journalist from the Shargh newspaper, who received it from one of the readers and after following up, the head of the Blood Transfusion Organization of Iran stated: 'A complete unit of blood still has no price, but blood products have been priced since Farvardin of this year.' Ali Pourfathollah, the head of the Blood Transfusion Organization, referring to the fact that 'the economy of blood transfusion plays a very important role in the cycle of blood transfusion and blood products,' told the Shargh newspaper: 'What has happened is the valuation of services related to blood production processes and blood products in the country, and I must assure you that this valuation of our services is a game where everyone wins,' because 'patients receive better services and gain access to new products. The quality of service increases, and it is also completely beneficial for insurers because it will help them manage blood and ensure logical consumption of blood and blood products.' According to the Shargh newspaper, the head of the Blood Transfusion Organization emphasized at the end of his remarks that 'this program will in no way harm voluntary donations, and blood is not priced at all, but processes have been valued. Therefore, the tariff for a complete blood unit remains zero. The Blood Transfusion Organization provides complete blood free of charge to treatment centers,' but 'what has been valued is the production processes, which is completely logical.