Revolutionary Institutions Have No Right to Criticize Each Other
Revolutionary institutions have no right to criticize each other. This is a new yet repetitive order from the leader of the Islamic Republic to the institutions under his supervision and even to government organizations.
Ali Khamenei, in remarks published on his website yesterday regarding his meeting with the organizers of the conference of martyrs of the country’s nomadic communities, complained to the state broadcaster under his control for criticizing the law enforcement forces and said: “Whoever makes the people skeptical and pessimistic about the officials’ activities, efforts, and plans of the country is working in the interests of the enemy; whether knowingly or unknowingly.”
These statements by the leader of the Islamic Republic were made in response to criticism by one of the television programs regarding the performance of law enforcement and Bank Melli in the theft from 250 safe deposit boxes of the bank.
The leader of the Islamic Republic, without directly mentioning the name of the program or the state broadcaster’s presenter, said: “They speak in such a way that law enforcement forces are reproached instead of being encouraged.”
The head of the state broadcasting organization, who is appointed by the leader, immediately reacted to these remarks and apologized for the incident in a letter, promising to remedy this mistake.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s reminders to his subordinate institutions and even to the media to prevent criticism or stop reporting have a long history. In the most lasting of these, after the embezzlement of 3 trillion tomans from Bank Melli became public and Mahmoud Khavari fled to Canada, contrary to public expectations, he told judicial officials and the media in a public speech not to “drag out” the case. This very request and order from the system’s leader to stop discussing and reporting on the largest embezzlement in the country’s history was the beginning of other, broader, and larger-scale embezzlements.
According to the Islamic Republic’s law, the state broadcasting organization, the Revolutionary Guards, the military, the Guardian Council, the Assembly of Experts, the judiciary, the Supreme National Security Council, the Basij organization, and law enforcement are under the direct supervision of the leader, and the appointment and dismissal of senior officials of these institutions and the determination of their general policies are the responsibility of the head of state.
Beyond this, the governing institutions oversee more than thirty foundations, organizations, bodies, and other sanctuaries under the leader’s supervision, although their budgets are determined by the government and parliament.
He, who apparently does not even believe in the scope of his own authority, said years ago in a meeting with revolutionary students: “The management of institutions such as the armed forces is with the leadership, but in the judiciary and the state broadcaster, although their heads are appointed by the leadership, their management is not with the leadership, and for example, I have always taken a critical stance towards the state broadcaster, both in the current management and in previous managements, in various matters.”
With all these powers, however, he is not accountable to any institution, person, or media outlet, and his supporters consider the leadership as isolated and lacking executive power to reform the country’s affairs.
He is the leader who, throughout more than 30 years of his rule, has shown severe reactions to the slightest criticisms from institutions under his management and has silenced the media, but throughout all this time has never even once faced questions from the media.
Source: Voice of America
