"Ineffective factions have also discouraged and disillusioned the people"

Ali Larijani's "possible" withdrawal from the 11th parliamentary elections has been met with mixed reactions from different political factions in Iran. Political activists say that the "ineffective" factions have also discouraged and disillusioned the people.

Some see the reluctance of Ali Larijani, this conservative figure and current speaker of the parliament, to enter the 11th parliament elections as a sign that the factions that support and support conservatism are discouraged from supporting factions. Others believe that the failure of this conservative figure to enter the parliamentary elections shows that reformists and conservatives should cede the political arena.

Politicians, come!

From the perspective of Hossein Marashi, a technocrat member of the Construction Brokers, the "clear message" of Ali Larijani's resignation is that not only reformists, but also fundamentalists no longer see a place for politics.

Marashi wrote in the newspaper "Etemad", affiliated with the National Trust Party: "Today, if there is no comprehensive determination to present a call to encourage and persuade effective fundamentalist and reformist figures who are capable of rebuilding the trust of citizens to participate in the elections, the historic opportunity of the parliamentary elections will also be lost, and although the system may move towards revolutionary purity, its inclusiveness will be overshadowed."

Marashi, of course, explained what exactly he means by “historical opportunity” and “revolutionary sincerity” and what its examples are. Perhaps this member of the Construction Workers’ Party means the vacating of seats in the parliament by people with reformist and tolerant tendencies who, at certain intervals, were able to find a “middle ground” and invite people to participate in the desired electoral junctures.

On the other hand, Hossein Marashi's words may reflect concerns about the parliament becoming more ineffective due to the entry of people who fall under the umbrella of various fundamentalist currents. At the same time, these people still want to apply "revolutionary purity" as in the first and second decades of the 1989 revolution.

Hosseinullah Karam and a number of his like-minded people have also announced their readiness to register and have said that the Fundamentalist Coordination Council Front has included their names on its list.

"No one pays attention to the opinion of the parliament"

Amidst these comments and analysis, what stands out the most is the "failure" of the currents claiming "reform" from both the reformist and fundamentalist factions.

Ali Larijani is not the only one who is "currently" unwilling to participate in the 11th Parliament elections. On the other hand, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, a member of the Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Borna, a news agency close to the fundamentalists, that he will not participate in the 11th Parliament elections.

This conservative member of parliament raised two issues in explaining the reasons for his absence: first, the behavior of the parliament's presiding board, which, according to him, has weakened the position of the representatives, and second, the existence of structures that make "decisions" parallel to the parliament and whose decisions are implemented, such as in the case of gasoline prices.

Falahatpisheh said that in the country's fundamental decision-making, "no one pays attention to the opinion of the parliament." He referred to the issue of increasing the price of gasoline, which was decided despite the opposition of the parliament to this increase.

Falahatpisheh, who previously chaired the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament in the ninth term, also pointed to the "weakness" of the Parliament, saying that this weakness is due to structural conditions and partly to the conditions of the parliamentary presidency, which he believes has "unfortunately" contributed to this weakness.

"We need the Senate"

Falahatpisheh, while pointing out that we are witnessing a series of "conventions" in the political-administrative system, added: "At the beginning of the revolution, decisions were made that have become taboo. This country needs a Senate or something similar to the Senate, and this is a reality. The country needs a second parliament."

It is these "conventions" that, according to Falahat Pisheh, have led to the formation of numerous assemblies such as the Expediency Discernment Council, the Summit of the Heads of the Three Powers, the Supreme Council for the Cultural Revolution, the Supreme National Security Council, and other parallel executive institutions; assemblies and institutions that, according to Mr. Falahat Pisheh, not only implicitly weaken the right of the Assembly but have also created enough problems.

Falahatpisheh did not elaborate on these problems, but previously, some members of parliament and political experts had always claimed that they intended to “serve the people,” but the parliament’s hands were tied. This is an issue that Falahatpisheh referred to and said: “During the three parliaments that I was present in, the presiding board has not acted to this extent against the dignity of the parliament. They even completely undermined the dignity of the parliament. In closed sessions, they put loose caps on the heads of the parliament members and practically removed the parliament from the country’s fundamental decision-making.”

Encouraging the disillusioned to participate in the elections again?

"The inefficiency of the parliament and the frustration of the people," especially after the recent protests in Iran, are two issues that Parvaneh Salahshouri, a representative from Tehran in the 10th parliament, addressed today, Tuesday, December 12, in a note for the "Etemad" newspaper.

Salahshouri raised the issue of the ineffectiveness of the parliament by comparing the number of female registrants in the previous period and pointing out the difficulties in introducing female candidates to the public, and wrote that the recent protests and related issues, along with the ineffectiveness of the parliament, have "discouraged" the people.

He added that since the beginning of the registration days for the 11th Majlis elections, women have registered claiming to be independent, or that they are conservatives who have more hope of entering the parliament. However, he believes that for this group of people, “the inefficiency of the parliament is not an issue at all,” instead, their desired parliament is this parliament (the 10th Majlis); a parliament that receives “confidential and classified” reports from the Majlis Research Center about the reasons for the recent price increases, but cannot make a decision because the decision-making centers are elsewhere.

Source: DW