2021 Elections – Candidates Threatened with Disqualification After Television Debate
Following the first debate of candidates in the thirteenth presidential election of the Islamic Republic of Iran, government officials showed widespread reactions: one threatened to disqualify candidates, calling them traitors to the people and telling them to “be ashamed!”, while another said “I was really upset!”
Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, threatened to disqualify the candidates after the first televised debate of presidential candidates, saying they “must apologize to the people” because during the debate they “lied, made accusations and insulted” and “their behavior is the greatest betrayal of the people.”
According to Mehr News Agency, Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, addressing some of the election candidates and emphasizing that “you should really be ashamed,” said: “When you open your mouth and speak, millions of people are listening and there may be naive people among them who believe what you say and your lies.”
Alireza Panahian, head of the seminary and specialized propaganda center of Dar al-Hikma, in response to the first debate of election candidates said: “I felt bad!”
According to Hamshahri, he emphasized that after watching the debate, “I was really upset. I mean, I hadn’t been like this for several years. These are our political and religious figures. Moreover, many of them still have two and a half bites left – why didn’t you bring worse ones than these!”
Ishaq Jahangiri, Vice President and a disqualified candidate in this round of presidential elections, also criticized why no questions were raised about the consequences of “sanctions” and “coronavirus” on employment and people’s livelihoods.
According to ISNA, he emphasized: “The media and broadcasting should provide the opportunity for ministers to respond and for statements by experts and knowledgeable scholars. Only going to court with your own group to satisfy yourself.”
Ibrahim Raisi’s campaign headquarters announced that five additional minutes of response time had been given to this candidate to respond to statements by Hemati and Mehr Alizada against him.
Abdolnasser Hemati also said that if that is the case, they should give me “20 minutes” of response time, because they mentioned my name twenty-nine times and “accused me.”
Fars News Agency, referring to statements by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Republic, that “whenever candidates pursued methods of insult and defamation in debates, the country was harmed in some way,” wrote that again “some candidates pursued these methods.”
“Ibrahim Raisi having six years of education,” “Ali Reza Zakani’s revisionist and conditional nature,” and “the story of Mohsen Rezaei obtaining an economics doctorate by calling Tehran University professors to his office for lessons and exams,” were among the matters mentioned in the first debate.
Source: Voice of America
