Yazdi: The Guardian Council's Oversight on Elections is Substantive, Not Spectatorial

Mohammad Yazdi, head of the Assembly of Experts, discussed the upcoming elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts, stating that "this year we have two elections ahead and we have no compromises with anyone. The Ministry of Interior is the executor of the elections, and the Guardian Council is the overseer, and its oversight is substantive, not spectatorial." According to ISNA news agency, Yazdi made these remarks on Tuesday, September 1, during his speech on the first day of the 18th session of the Assembly of Experts. He further added, "However, according to the principles outlined in the Constitution, the execution of elections is with the Ministry of Interior, and the oversight is with the Guardian Council, and God willing, they will interact, especially since the two elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts are together." The issue of oversight over elections has been controversial in recent weeks, with Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, implicitly protesting the widespread disqualification of candidates for the elections on August 19, noting that the Guardian Council is the overseer and the government is the executor of the elections, and "oversight and execution should not be mixed." Rouhani's comments provoked reactions from several principlists and Friday prayer leaders, and Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), harshly accused the President of attempting to "weaken" the Guardian Council. In response, Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran, criticized Jafari's comments, emphasizing that the military's involvement in politics and elections "is not in the country's best interest." However, on Tuesday, September 1, Jafari again spoke about the upcoming elections, stating: "Enemies seek to have individuals in power during each election who support their policies and have plans in the political and cultural arena that they implement through various movements and parties." According to IRNA news agency, Jafari added: "Of course, the insight and awareness of our people, especially after the events of 2009, have reached a level where they can recognize these types of party tricks and new party reconstructions that oppose the path of the revolution." Jafari's remarks may refer to the establishment of the Iran Islamic Nation Unity Party, as most founding members of this newly established party are former members of the Participation Front, a reformist party that was dissolved by judicial authorities after the 2009 presidential election. Recently, there were reports about the arrest and subsequent release on bail of Ali Shakouri Rad, the secretary-general of this party. In another part of his remarks, Yazdi referred to the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stating: "In any case, the JCPOA is following its legal path. The President is also present in this session, and it should be noted that since the JCPOA involves commitments, it falls under the Constitution, and the doubt that it should not be discussed in the parliament because it has not been signed should not arise." He emphasized that "from the perspective of the Constitution, when the word commitment exists, the Constitution applies, and the parliament has the right to review it. The JCPOA is also under review in the Supreme National Security Council, and according to its name, it is a comprehensive action plan that both sides must act upon, and the deadline for action will soon arrive." He continued, "We must be careful that this program does not change our foreign policy. The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the United States its primary enemy." Previously, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, called the parliament's request for a bill regarding the Vienna nuclear agreement "against the Constitution," stating that since this agreement is not signed by the President or his representative, "there is no need for parliamentary approval."