The Society of Combatant Clergy Supports Hashemi Rafsanjani

Despite the fact that the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary did not include Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, in its list for the Assembly of Experts elections, the Society of Combatant Clergy has supported him. ISNA reported on Sunday, February 25, that the list of the Society of Combatant Clergy for the Assembly of Experts elections in the Tehran constituency has been published. Apart from Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's name, the other members of the lists from the Society of Combatant Clergy and the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary are the same, and in the Society of Teachers' list, Ali Momen's name replaces Rafsanjani's. Other members of this list include Hassan Rouhani, Mohammad Yazdi, Ahmad Jannati, Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, Mohammad Reza Modarresi, and Gholam Reza Mesbahi Moghadam. A day before the publication of the Society of Combatant Clergy's list, Hossein Ebrahimi, a member of this group, stated that Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's name is 'not currently' in the Society of Combatant Clergy's list and is 'almost heading towards removal.' Mohammad Reza Mesbahi Moghadam, the spokesman for this group, announced on Sunday, February 18, that the Society of Combatant Clergy had 'agreed' to include Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in its list for the Assembly of Experts elections, but the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary 'opposes this.' According to Mr. Mesbahi Moghadam, before the disagreement between these two groups regarding support for Mr. Rafsanjani, it was planned for both groups to have a joint list across the country. For the first time since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary has not included Mr. Rafsanjani's name in its supported list for the Assembly of Experts elections. Meanwhile, in the list supported by Mr. Rafsanjani for the Assembly of Experts elections, there is no mention of Ahmad Jannati, Mohammad Yazdi, and Mohammad Reza Modarresi Yazdi, three members of the Guardian Council who are present in the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary's list. However, the name of Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, the Secretary-General of the Society of Combatant Clergy, is present in this list published on Friday. In recent days, the collection of Mr. Rafsanjani's campaign posters has also made headlines during the February 22 rally. The spokesman for the judiciary and the governor of Tehran provided contradictory explanations about this on Sunday. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for the judiciary, said in his press conference, 'It seems that a van with illegal content was trying to distribute these banners, which the police stopped. If this is the case, this action is correct; otherwise, the matter is under investigation.' However, according to IRNA, Hossein Hashemi, the governor of Tehran, stated that the lack of awareness of the agents about the start of the Assembly of Experts elections campaign was the reason for the collection of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's advertising banners. Meanwhile, according to ILNA, Shahabuddin Chavoshi, the deputy governor of Tehran, said, 'It is still unclear which agency or individuals ordered the collection of the advertising banners.' Previously, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior, had tasked the governor of Tehran to follow up on the complaint of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's public campaign regarding the collection of advertising items related to this Assembly of Experts election candidate from the streets of Tehran and to take legal action in this regard.