Elections 2022 – Police prepare for “major operation”; Guardian Council spokesperson: We have no disqualifications at all

There are seventeen days left until the 13th presidential election in the Islamic Republic of Iran. While some current and former officials of the Islamic Republic have not been allowed to run in the elections, the spokesman for the Guardian Council claims that the council does not “disqualify” but rather “certifies the qualifications of qualified individuals.” The commander of the Tehran Police Force also says: “We are on the verge of carrying out a major mission and operation.”

• Guardian Council Spokesperson: Declining public participation in elections is not our fault

The Guardian Council spokesman says, based on surveys by government institutions, that "the Guardian Council's votes in reviewing qualifications" do not have a significant impact on the level of public participation in the elections.

Abbasali Kadkhodaei, in an interview with Press TV, also said that the Guardian Council does not have "disqualification" in electing the president, but rather that the council "verifies the qualifications of qualified individuals" and does not mean that unqualified individuals have "inappropriate conditions."

Kadkhodaei stated that "because we do not have disqualification," there is no stage for objection in the law, and accordingly, there is "no possibility" of re-examination, emphasizing that according to the "explicit principle of the Constitution," the Leader of the Islamic Republic can use his powers "whenever he deems necessary" and "we will comply."

The Guardian Council spokesman, without referring to Ali Larijani's disqualification and the critical statements made by his brother Sadegh Larijani, who is a member of the Guardian Council, said: "There may be protests and criticism in cyberspace, but the Guardian Council makes decisions about individuals based on the documentation of the case."

Without mentioning the Larijanis by name, he emphasized that the fact that "a relative" of a Guardian Council member volunteered for the election showed that the council's opinion "will not change because of his presence."

After Ali Larijani was disqualified in the 13th presidential election of the Islamic Republic, Sadegh Larijani, in a series of critical tweets, called the Guardian Council's performance "indefensible" and the result of "decision-making for the Guardian Council," and described it as "disorders" that are "largely" the result of "increasing interference by security agencies through untrue reports."

• Tehran Prosecutor: I did not threaten, it was a recommendation

The Tehran prosecutor, who had warned that he would "deal with" presidential candidates if they "crossed the system's red lines," now says, "I gave advice, not a threat."

Ali al-Qasi had said on Sunday, June 29, that if election candidates cross the "red lines of the system" during speeches and campaigns and prefer "national interests over their personal and group interests," they will be dealt with "firmly."

On Tuesday, June 11, the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office issued a statement stating that these statements were "a legal warning to prevent electoral crimes" and were made in different periods.

Voice of America reported yesterday that one of the election candidates criticized the threats and said, "How can they allow themselves to draw a line and define a red line for presidential candidates?"

• Tehran Police Commander: We are on the verge of a "major operation"

On the other hand, the commander of the Tehran Police Force stated: "We will not allow the slightest security and law enforcement disruption to occur during the elections."

According to IRNA, Hossein Rahimi, commander of the Tehran Police Force, said regarding the presidential elections: "We are on the verge of carrying out a major mission and operation."

Emphasizing the need for "electoral enthusiasm," he claimed that "enemies and opponents" were trying to prevent "mass acceptance" of the elections, and said: "Today, many of the country's problems are due to the enemies' spraying, vilification, and cowardly economic siege, as well as some internal mismanagement."

The Iranian Student Opinion Polling Center has announced the turnout rate in this election cycle at 36 percent, and even some former officials of the Islamic Republic have expressed doubts about the integrity of the elections.

However, without announcing an alternative to guarantee the validity of identification documents, the authorities have announced that due to compliance with the "health protocol" in the 1400 elections, fingerprinting is "prohibited" during various election processes, especially on voting day.

Source: Voice of America