Verbal Clash Between Judiciary Chief and Interior Minister Over Guardian Council Oversight

The newspaper Shahrvand reported that Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, criticized 'extremism disguised as revolutionary zeal' on Monday during his visit to the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini on the first day of Government Week. The newspaper Ebtekar assessed the Judiciary Chief's remarks on Monday as a reaction to the President's criticism of the Guardian Council, emphasizing that 'reactions to the President's statements continue.' It noted that following the Interior Minister's comments on the matter, reactions emerged, with the Judiciary Chief responding in a meeting of senior judicial officials and the Interior Minister addressing misunderstandings regarding his statements in a press conference. The report stated that Sadeq Larijani, in response to comments made two days earlier by Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, said: 'Sometimes we hear populist remarks; a gentleman who I believe in both his religious and revolutionary credentials has made a statement that we can only oversee through the four legal channels. Oversight by the Guardian Council occurs through any channel. They said we have no disqualification; what a baseless and incorrect statement that is, and it is for someone who does not know the law.' However, the government-aligned Iran newspaper quoted the Interior Minister emphasizing that 'the principle is innocence' and reported that Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli requested the Judiciary Chief to read his full statements before reacting and to show more 'patience' and 'tolerance.' Rahmani Fazli also stated: 'We are not upset that some call us populists. If someone thinks they are above the vastness of existence and the extensive information of the public, that is questionable. I believe I am a populist in that sense.' The Sharq newspaper quoted Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani saying: 'Those who sanctified Ahmadinejad should answer.' Ahmad Naghibzadeh, a political science professor at Tehran University, emphasized in an interview with Sharq that 'up until now, all of Rouhani's government energy has been focused on the nuclear issue, and from now on, this government has time to show itself. We need to see if the reforms it intends to implement internally will begin or not, which I believe they will.' This political science professor stressed that 'soon the people will see his political achievements, and it will be possible to trust him for the future.' The Qanoon newspaper, while publishing a report on the appointment of members of the Guardian Council's oversight committees in the capital, emphasized that 'the oversight committees remained right-leaning.' The Etemad newspaper reported on the continued construction at the Eshratabad military base, stating: 'Despite an agreement reached between the IRGC officials, the municipality, and cultural heritage authorities, workers at the Eshratabad building are still at work.' The Jahan San'at newspaper reported that Valiollah Seif, the head of the Central Bank, in response to growing concerns about the implications of the amendment to the direct tax law, stated: 'We will not provide bank deposit information to the tax organization, and there will be no misuse of banking information.' The Shahrvand newspaper, while publishing a report on 'changing styles of men's clothing and grooming in Iran,' noted: 'Now, for some of these young men, going to the barber is not just about a simple shampoo and a regular haircut; they have a lot to do in these beauty salons, needing to take care of their hair, dye it, cut it, get highlights, design their scalp, groom their eyebrows, shape their beards, and undergo waxing.' Zahra Jafarzadeh reported in Shahrvand that 'not only laser and beauty clinics but also the displays in shop windows show that men's tastes regarding what they are and what they wear have changed.' The newspaper also quoted clothing sellers emphasizing that among men, 'the desire to wear special clothes has increased, with patterned clothes featuring very open collars and lace. Those who favor rap styles like baggy and half-baggy pants, and ripped jeans have also become more popular, although only a specific segment likes these, most of them being young people under 30.' The verbal clash between the Judiciary Chief and the Interior Minister over the oversight of the Guardian Council began with the President's comments about the Guardian Council. President Rouhani, in his remarks, referred to the supervisory duties of this council, interpreting it as unable to perform its tasks. Ebtekar noted that 'the intent of this metaphor was actually to separate the supervisory role of the Guardian Council from the executive duties of the government,' and nonetheless, following the Interior Minister's remarks on this matter, reactions emerged, with the Judiciary Chief responding in a meeting of senior judicial officials and the Interior Minister addressing misunderstandings in a press conference. The Javan newspaper, close to the IRGC, described Sadeq Larijani's remarks on Monday as a warning regarding the newly established reformist party, with the Judiciary Chief stating: 'The Guardian Council should be cautious of the new party of condemned seditionists.' This newspaper reported that Sadeq Larijani, in a meeting of senior judicial officials, said: 'Some individuals who were seditionists during the 2009 unrest and some of whom are condemned have now come and changed their appearance and are forming parties to enter the scene.' According to this newspaper, the Judiciary Chief, referring to what he described as 'some atmospheric manipulations regarding the duties of the Guardian Council,' stated: 'Why do we create an atmosphere and make side remarks? These create disputes in the country. The path and interpretation of the Constitution are clear; what is the duty of the Guardian Council? Is it supervisory or not? This has been interpreted and is known.' Sadeq Larijani also reacted to the statements made two days earlier by Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, saying: 'Sometimes we hear populist remarks; a gentleman who I believe in both his religious and revolutionary credentials has made a statement that we can only oversee through the four legal channels. Oversight by the Guardian Council occurs through any channel. They said we have no disqualification; what a baseless and incorrect statement that is, and it is for someone who does not know the law.' The Javan newspaper quoted the Judiciary Chief stating: 'The part that oversees must ascertain. The principle is innocence; this is a populist statement. In the law, the qualifications are outlined, and it has been stated that candidates must have these qualifications. If the Guardian Council wants to confirm qualifications, it must ascertain the qualifications. Therefore, we also have cases of non-ascertainment of qualifications.' This newspaper also quoted Sadeq Larijani as saying: 'We ask the Guardian Council to firmly stand by the values of the revolution in the matter of elections, which is the fate of the country.' The Javan newspaper reported that the Judiciary Chief emphasized that 'we remind this diligent government that the country needs solidarity, effort, and diligent work at this time,' stating: 'Creating side issues at this time is unacceptable from anyone. The Judiciary will assist the government to the best of its ability, and our recommendation to the government is to accept and address shortcomings and deficiencies.' The Interior Minister's advice to the Judiciary Chief was 'patience' and 'tolerance' before 'reaction.' The Iran newspaper, close to the government, quoted the Interior Minister emphasizing that 'the principle is innocence' and reported that Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli requested the Judiciary Chief to read his full statements before reacting and to show more 'patience' and 'tolerance.' This newspaper reported that the Interior Minister's press conference on Monday to explain the achievements of his two-year tenure was influenced from the start by the recent statements of the President and the Interior Minister regarding the supervisory duties of the Guardian Council and turned into an informal debate between the Judiciary Chief and the Interior Minister after an hour, as Sadeq Larijani in a meeting of senior judicial officials that had begun shortly before the Interior Minister's press conference criticized his recent statements regarding the ascertainment of qualifications in the Guardian Council and called his remarks populist. According to the Iran newspaper, the Judiciary Chief's remarks were written on paper during the Interior Minister's press conference and handed to Rahmani Fazli, who provided extensive explanations in response and, of course, before providing explanations, asked the Judiciary Chief to thoroughly read his statements and, at the same time, show more patience and restraint. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli also stated: 'We are not upset that some call us populists. If someone thinks they are above the vastness of existence and the extensive information of the public, that is questionable. I believe I am a populist in that sense.' The Interior Minister addressed the Judiciary Chief, saying, 'It is better not to accuse each other of populism. Everyone has their own expertise; everyone understands public issues at one level. This impatience and intolerance in accusing each other is not in accordance with Islamic ethical standards.' The Iran newspaper noted that the Interior Minister, who had previously stated in an interview that in the matter of examining qualifications, 'the principle is innocence' and 'we have no disqualification in elections,' in response to the Judiciary Chief's criticisms stated: 'Certainly, he has not fully read my interview and has been quoted; my intention was the non-ascertainment of qualifications based on a lack of investigation.' Rahmani Fazli emphasized that 'by God, we have also learned from Ayatollah Amoli and the sermons of scholars that in Islam, the principle is innocence,' stating, 'One cannot accuse everyone from the outset and consider them all criminals. We consider everyone innocent unless proven otherwise. Perhaps Ayatollah Amoli has judged based on quotes because I know how knowledgeable he is. If the principle is not innocence, we must place distrust as the principle every day. While in over 90% of daily matters, the principle for us is trust. Of course, the interpretation of this matter is with Ayatollah Amoli Larijani. He is certainly an expert in religious matters, and if he provides an explanation that convinces us, we will accept it.' The issue of oversight committees The Qanoon newspaper, while publishing a report on the appointment of members of the Guardian Council's oversight committees in the capital, emphasized that 'the oversight committees remained right-leaning.' This newspaper reported that after Hassan Rouhani's comments about 'the Guardian Council's non-interference in elections,' various individuals and institutions took positions and expressed 'harsh criticisms against the President,' but 'the members of the Guardian Council were the only individuals who, despite being involved in the matter, did not say anything, yet in practice, they advanced in a way to give a hard response to the Executive Chief's remarks and that was the selection of individuals close to the previous government in the oversight committee for the elections in Tehran.' The Qanoon newspaper named 'Ghasem Mohammad Tahrani, Farhad Rahbar, Mohammad Hossein Sadeqi, Gholam Hossein Esmaili, and Hojjatoleslam Hossein Ebrahimi' as those whom Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, appointed 'for the oversight committee for the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections in Tehran.' The newspaper noted that 'most of them have a specific political orientation and have no fondness for Rouhani's government,' including 'Mohammad Qasem Tahrani, who was the head of the oversight and inspection committee during Ahmadinejad's time and the 2009 elections,' and the second person on this list is 'none other than Farhad Rahbar, the former head of Tehran University,' who, due to 'security perspectives and his previous position in the Ministry of Intelligence, may not be a suitable candidate for this position and presence in the oversight council.' The Qanoon newspaper reported on 'Hojjatoleslam Hossein Ebrahimi,' another member of the oversight committee for the elections in the capital, stating that he 'was a representative in the eighth parliament and a member of the Combatant Clergy Association' and someone whom 'the people did not vote for to be in the ninth parliament.' This principlist cleric, who has now been appointed by Ahmad Jannati as a member of the oversight committee for the elections in Tehran, previously stated in an interview that he had determined the composition of the tenth parliament and said: 'Currently, the tenth parliament will also be principlist unless something special happens in the remaining time until the elections.' He also stated: 'The reason for the reformists' closeness to Rouhani is greed. The reformists will be the first to undermine Rouhani.' The construction of the IRGC's twin towers in Eshratabad continues. The Etemad newspaper reported on the ongoing construction at the Eshratabad military base, stating: 'Despite an agreement reached between IRGC officials, the municipality, and cultural heritage authorities, workers at the Eshratabad building are still at work.' According to this newspaper, 'just a few weeks ago, news was released by members of the city council and the Tehran municipality regarding the case of the IRGC structure in Eshratabad, announcing the formation of a committee composed of representatives from the municipality, the IRGC, and cultural heritage to decide on reducing the height of this building after halting construction operations; however, 'eyewitness accounts from Etemad's reporter indicate that the owning institution of this building has not only not halted the completion of the construction of the aforementioned building but has also begun the walling of the twin buildings' framework and will soon complete its outer shell.' Hamidreza Khaledi, a reporter for Etemad, referring to the ongoing construction of 'a 14-story building that is said to have been built without a permit and is so tall that it has obstructed the view and landscape of the historical Kolah Farangi building,' reminds us...