Iran’s Supreme Leader has dismissed recent criticism of the election process, stressing that the Guardian Council is a competent body to assure the unbiased running of the election.
Iranian media report that Ayatollah Khamenei spoke at a meeting with workers on Saturday April 27, saying: “Those who are nominating themselves to run for president should be certain about their capabilities and the required competencies for the management of the country.”
Iran’s presidential election is set for June of 2013. There have been several nominees from various factions, but the nominations have not been finalized and neither has the Guardian Council confirmed the eligibility of any of these nominees.
Meanwhile, outgoing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is trying to promote his allies for the presidential race, while denouncing the conservative factions working against his efforts.
He has been aiming allegations of corruption at top officials and threatening to reveal lists of corrupt officials.
His opponents have called his bluff, saying it would amount to obstruction of justice if Ahmadinejad had such information and chose to withhold it.
Ayatollah Khamenei said today that the next president should be “a firm and resourceful character” who can disentangle himself from daily economic concerns and instead concentrate on an “economy of resistance.”
He added that the Guardian Council is a body of “just and insightful human beings” which makes them highly competent in determining the eligibility of the candidates.
Over the years, many factions have questioned the impartiality of the Guardian Council in determining the eligibility criteria for political candidates in various elections.
