Iran’s justice minister is now the second minister to sound the alarm about “dirty money” entering the election process.
The interior minister had previously expressed concerns about “dirty money” backing parliamentary candidates in the coming elections, and now Mostafa PourMohammadi has expressed disappointment that there is no strict legislation to ensure transparency in election campaign funding.
MPs have criticized the ministers for their allegations.
PourMohammadi said candidates have been accepting money from donors in exchange for favours when then are elected to Parliament. He added that he has been discussing this problem with the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
PourMohammadi added that ever since 2000, he had been involved in drafting legislation to provide transparency in election campaign funding, but the initiative was halted in 2009 under the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad administration. He said, however, that the project has been resumed and 18 articles have already been drafted.
The minister of justice added that as soon as the bill is prepared, it will be presented to the Supreme Leader for approval.
