Challenge of Disqualifying Former President; Takallou: Ahmadinejad is a Criminal

While there have been whispers about the possibility of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disqualification since his registration, Mr. Ahmadinejad has called his disqualification “baseless.”

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday, the 27th of Farvardin, in an interview with China’s Phoenix network, the text of which was published on the Bahar government website (affiliated with Mr. Ahmadinejad), that there is no reason for his disqualification by the Guardian Council.

This is while, simultaneously, Ahmad Takallou, a former parliamentary representative, in a letter to the Guardian Council, by listing legal violations and other reasons, has requested the disqualification of Ahmadinejad.

The Guardian Council’s supervisory approval and confirmation of candidates’ qualifications has led critics of the Islamic Republic to question Iran’s elections in terms of being democratic and fair.

Critics believe that people are forced to vote only for options that have previously been selected for them by the Guardian Council.

Now it appears that the issue of qualification confirmation has also become a challenge for confronting some forces within the ruling system.

Ahmad Takallou in his letter to the Guardian Council, referring to Ahmadinejad’s actions during his presidency in defying the orders of Ayatollah Khamenei, wrote that Iran’s former president does not follow the Supreme Leader.

Belief in and commitment to the principle of Velayat-e Faqih (guardianship of the jurist) is one of the conditions for candidates’ qualification in the Guardian Council’s view.

Ahmad Takallou also referred to Mr. Ahmadinejad’s decisions in not implementing the decisions of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and insisting on non-implementation of these resolutions. This former parliamentarian then called Mr. Ahmadinejad a criminal due to multiple illegal actions. He pointed, for example, to unlawful withdrawals from the treasury for provincial trips and illegal employment for the presidential institution during Ahmadinejad’s presidency.

Mr. Takallou, who was one of the serious critics of Mr. Ahmadinejad during his second term, further stated in his letter that if the parliament had performed its duty in reviewing Ahmadinejad’s competence in that period, today he would not be proposing his “promise to overthrow the household and anti-national increase in monthly cash subsidies to 250,000 tomans for everyone.”

On the other hand, the spokesman for the Judiciary said on Sunday to reporters that the legal case of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is still open and the innocence of Hamid Baqai has not yet been proven.

The legal cases of Mr. Ahmadinejad are related to his actions during his presidency. Part of this case stems from the complaint of the Islamic Consultative Assembly regarding the non-implementation of parliament’s resolutions; an issue that Ahmad Takallou also referred to multiple instances of in his letter to the Guardian Council.

Another challenge for Iran’s former president is the view of Ayatollah Khamenei, who last year did not deem his participation in the presidential election appropriate.

It appears that Mr. Ahmadinejad, who was one of the presidents supported by the Guardian Council, particularly its secretary Ahmad Jannati, faces serious challenges in confirming his qualification.

Source: Voice of America