Fears of Judiciary Putsch to Stop Moderates in Upcoming
Election
By Nader Uskowi
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a speech at
Tehran’s Azadi Square marking the 34th anniversary of the Islamic
Revolution, warned the nation that Larijani family is trying to take over the
system. (EA World View, 10 February)
Sadeq Larijani, a cleric and the chief of Iran’s Judiciary, has been gathering
increasing influence in the country and has been lately allying himself with
the ultra-right Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, the powerful theoretician of absolute
power of the clerics over political as well as religious life in the country.
It is increasingly feared that Larijani, using his powers as Judiciary chief,
could stop Rafsanjani or other moderate leaders from winning the June
presidential election by arresting him on unrelated charges. He has already
arrested two of Rafsanjani's children. Such move, if it happens, would be a putsch by
the Judiciary. Ahmadinejad today was referencing such concerns by warning that
the Larijani family could attempt to “take over the system.”
Ahmadinejad also strongly suggested that his rivals,
including some close to the Supreme Leader, will try to rig the vote in June’s
presidential election. He referred to the comments made by the supreme leader’s
representative to IRGC, Ali Saeedi, on “engineering the election” as an IRGC’s
“duty.”
“People have the
right to pick the rulers. No one should (think) that people's vote is only a paper.
We need this collective opinion.
“No one should think they can
decide rather than the people. Some people have said they can engineer the
election.
“I would say the great nation
of the people of Iran know which path to take, and institutions and law must be
abided by. Destroying others' reputation to prove yourself is not the right
thing to do.
“No one can impose his opinions
of the people. I am confident the people will make this choice. Everyone needs
to respect the vote of the people.
“Some individuals should not
act or speak in a way that plays into the treacherous hands of the enemies of
the Iranian nation,” said Ahmadinejad (EA World View, 10 February)
Photo
credit: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad greets supporters during the
rally in Tehran's Azadi Square. 10 February, 2013. (AFP/Atta Kenare)
