Ali Motahari, a conservative Iranian MP, has accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of direct involvement in the ninth parliamentary elections, declaring that the “interference” was a “scourge” for both the Revolutionary Guards and the Islamic regime.
Motahari, who was elected in the second round of elections, said on Sunday that the Revolutionary Guard’s “interference” in the March elections was one of the “weak points” in the election process. He added: “The interference of the Revolutionary Guards at many voting stations was evident and this is confirmed both by candidates who were elected and those who were not.”
Motahari claimed the Revolutionary Guards “were openly endorsing their preferred candidates.”
He added that the “interference of the Revolutionary Guards in the elections was a scourge for the Revolutionary Guards and a grave danger for the Revolution and the Islamic regime.”
The Revolutionary Guards are not allowed to interfere in politics or elections, according to the Iranian constitution, and while their interference in these elections had already been denounced by opposition and reformist groups, this is the first time a conservative figure in the government has confirmed it.
This section of Motahari’s statement in Parliament was omitted by Fars News Agency, a media outlet reportedly close to the Revolutionary Guards. However they were included in the report published by the parliamentary news website Khaneh Mellat.
Iran’s reformist groups widely boycotted the parliamentary elections on the grounds that they had no hope of a fair and transparent election process. As a result, the ninth parliament will not have a minority faction and will be comprised solely of various conservative groups.
