Ahmadinejad to Postpone Presidential Election if Mashaie Is Disqualified – Majlis Deputy Speaker

Majlis Deputy Speaker Mohammad-Reza Bahonar today warned that President Ahmadinejad is contemplating to use his executive powers to postpone the 14 June presidential election if the Guardian Council disqualifies his handpicked candidate and political confidant Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie.

The Guardian Council is a twelve-member body composed of six clerics appointed by Khamenei and six other Islamic experts elected by Majlis that can disqualify any candidate for elected office, including presidential candidates, on charges of anti-Islamic views or behavior without being required to offer any specific reasons. But Khamenie can reverse the Council’s ruling and let the disqualified candidates participate in the election.

Bahonar also said if Mashaie is disqualified by the Council, Ahmadinejad will not be able to postpone the election.

“Ahmadinejad doesn’t have the ability to challenge the regime,” bahonar said. “People more powerful than Ahmadinejad wanted to postpone previous elections, but were unable to do so.” (IRNA, 10 April)

Bahonar did not specify who in the past tried unsuccessfully to postpone any of the elections.

File photo: Deputy Speaker Mohammad-Reza Bahonar (Press TV)

New Sanctions Will Void Nuclear Agreement – Iran Official

The Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Majlis, said today that Iran will cancel the accord with Turkey and Brazil to transfer 1,200 kg of its LEU to Turkey if the UN Security Council approves the proposed sanctions resolution against Iran. Mohammad Reza Bahonar made his remarks at a gathering of the Islamic Engineers Association in Tehran [Mehr News Agency, 20 May].

Bahonar added that he expects the fourth round of UN sanctions to be approved in the near future and in that case the Tehran Agreement will be considered null and void and Iran will continue its 20 percent uranium enrichment program. This is the first time that a senior Iranian official has linked the implementation of Tehran Agreement to the passage of the proposed sanctions resolution at UNSC. It is not clear yet whether his remarks represents the official policy of Iran.