The Latest from Iran (22 February): Rafsanjani Far from Finished?

0615 GMT: For 2 1/2 years, politics in Iran has been filled with stories and speculation that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani is finished as a major figure. After all, his last Tehran Friday Prayer was in July 2009, he was displaced as head of the Assembly of Experts, and the Supreme Leader brusquely rejected his appeal for action over the abuse of political detainees.

Well, for someone who is finished, Rafsanjani is making a lot of appearances these days. On Tuesday, we noted that candidates across the political spectrum were invoking his name --- some to defend him, some to declare that he and his family are unacceptable allies of sedition --- and today we begin by noting his own intervention.

Meeting Mostafa Kavakebian and the members of the Democracy Front, Rafsanjani emphasised the importance of the people’s role in Islamic government: "As long as people are supporting the system and the revolution, we will remain strong and firm."

The former President then targeted the problem within, albeit without naming names:

Unfortunately, for some time in the election campaign and debates, morality  has been ignored. To gain a few more votes,  candidates accuse others. And the worst matter is that authorities do nothing about breaches of the law. Some newly arrived officials question the past, and again no one objects. 

Rafsanjani concluded, “I hope one day these issues are resolved and reformed.”

Rafsanjani's brother and the head of his office, Mohammad Hashemi, also spoke out on Tuesday: "Even though participatio in the election is a national duty, the political atmosphere of the country is not good. This is because, since the 2009 election, candidates started insulting each other."

Hashemi said, that, in this atmosphere, the Kargozaran Party, close to Rafsanjani, had not held any meetings and would not publish any lists of candidates. 

Still, the challenges to Rafsanjani continued on Tuesday. One of them, interestingly and perhaps significantly, came from Mojtaba Zolnour, formerly the Supreme Leader's representative to the Revolutionary Guards.

Zolnour bluntly said, “We hope that Hashemi will follow the Supreme Leader again.” He claimed that the former President, during the "reformist period" and after the 2009 election, had not been supportive of Ayatollah Khamenei, citing in particular Rafsanjani's July 2009 Friday Prayer as "exactly opposite to the Supreme Leader's speech".

So is Zolnour, who also warned about the "domination of deviant current in Parliament", declaring that Rafsanjani is unacceptable? Or was he putting out the signal of a deal --- with Rafsanjani admitting past errors --- that would bring the former President back to prominence with the backing of the Supreme Leader? 

from EA WorldView: EA Iran

Posted via email from lissping