TEHRAN (AFP)--The Iranian authorities have disqualified the grandson of late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini from standing in parliamentary elections, the press reported Wednesday.
Ali Eshraghi, was one of more than 2,000 mainly reformist candidates vetoed by an interior ministry committee for failing to adhere to the constitution's strict rules for candidates in the first phase of vetting.
Eshraghi, the son of Khomeini's son-in-law Ayatollah Shahaboddin Eshraghi, said he was closer to reformists than to other Iranian factions.
He said he had been disqualified after the authorities asked his neighbors detailed questions about his life during their investigations. He said he had been informed of the decision by letter.
"This does not benefit the system and the expansion of democracy. This narrow- mindedness does not suit the Islamic Republic of Iran," Eshraghi told the moderate daily Kargozaran.
"Some of the neighbors told me that inspectors from the supervisory committee asked them about my private life," Eshraghi complained. "I was shocked to discover that the questions tackled whether I prayed daily, if I fasted, if I wore a suit, if I shaved, and if I smoked and what kind of car I drove.
"And then the inspectors would ask the neighbors if they knew that I was the imam's (Khomeini's) grandson and the neighbors would say, 'Well, if you know, then why did you ask?'
"I did not lodge a complaint against the decision and I accepted it as it was, " he said. "If the credentials of the imam's grandson are not validated who should I complain to?"
Eshraghi said he had informed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of his candidacy and had even held a one hour discussion with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He said it had also been approved by Hassan Khomeini, another grandson of the revolutionary leader who oversees the literary legacy of Khomeini.
In order to pass the vetting process, candidates must meet a host of criteria, one of which is sufficient loyalty to the system of clerical leadership of Iran put in place by Khomeini. The final say over who can stand in the election lies with the hardline unelected vetting body, the Guardians' Council.
Ahead of the last elections in 2004, the Guardians' Council banned more than 2,000 candidates, leading the way for the conservatives to seize control of parliament from the reformists.
(from Nasdaq.com)
4 comments:
From the information set forth in this article, it seems that the 12-member Guardian Council has a considerable amount of sway over Iranian politics. The fact that the reasoning employed by the Council is based upon the balanced, amalgamated decisions of the secular and religious implementations of the law makes it appear fair and unbiased.
And it is clear that this system creates a very narrow path by which any potential candidate can enter the race. As reported here, the 2000+ candidates that were vetoed against were mainly reformist, explaining that this is so due to the presence of certain reformist views that are not approved of based upon constitutional assertion.
But if one of the disqualified candidates is the grandson of the man to whom all candidates’ views’ must conform, then it is hard to believe that Eshraghi would not meet the requirements. And what makes this further confounding is that he received approval from another grandson of Khomeini who is said to oversee his grandfather’s literary legacy. Would that approval not mean that he, in fact, does conform to the standards of the system of clerical leadership?
Now, the reason why this particular disqualification is significant is that the Council could simply be making a statement by not affording Eshraghi his candidacy. The move could be due to Eshraghi’s acknowledged connection to the reformists, who, as mentioned above, are initially at a high risk of getting disqualified. Or it could be due to an unreported “fact”. Either way, there is no telling as to whether the neighbors might have let something slip, something that the other individuals who endorsed him might not have been privy to.
......and he is now reinstated!
"The reinstatement of the candidates came after prominent conservative and reformist figures complained bitterly about the scale of the disqualifications, which Khatami described as a "catastrophe".
The mass disqualifications were also criticised by another grandson of Khomeini, Hassan, who is in charge of the late revolutionary leader's mausoleum and is a top figure in the Islamic republic despite having no official position."
This article shows us that there is no balance of power or checks. One 12 member council has too much of the decision making power. And as far as the grandson of Khomeini and how his neighbors were asked about his life, that is completely out of line. They asked questions pertaining his lifestyle and how he lived his life. I believe if a man is honest and loyal to his country he should be allowed to run for power in this democratic country.
Although a lot can be told about a man, as far as if he shaves or a what kind of car he drives, but I do believe it is a bit weird. I do believe that asking them if he prayed was a good question. I think if a man wants to run for power, and he lives in a Muslim nation he should be a follower of the religion.
According to the article "The final say over who can stand in the election lies with the hardline unelected vetting body, the Guardians' Council." After reading that statement I believe there is a chance that he could be reinstated and if that happens it goes a long way in showing the people of Iran that they are running a legit process, if they fail, I believe the process itself has failed
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