Warning to the Minister of Interior
The Minister of Interior is preparing to introduce his proposed option for the governorship of Isfahan and to gain the approval of the Council of Ministers for the new governor. The mention of Mehdi Jamalinijad and the support of hardline representatives of Isfahan have raised concerns among reformist and moderate political activists in this province. Some conservative media outlets, in interviews with Amirhossein Bankipour, a controversial and hardliner representative from Isfahan in the parliament, stated that Jamalinijad has a better chance for the governorship of Isfahan than other options. He introduced the first option as his favorite and Jamalinijad as the second option, but considered Jamalinijad to have a greater chance.
However, the news of appointing one of the members of the Steadfast Front as the governor of Isfahan has led to negative reactions from moderate and reformist political activists in Isfahan. This news comes as Eskandar Momeni, the Minister of Interior, has appointed Jamalinijad as the head of the country’s municipalities and village administrations through a decree, and many considered this move to be Jamalinijad’s entry into the government’s executive sphere, especially for a province as significant as Isfahan.
Steadfast supporters are seeking Jamalinijad for the governorship.
Bankipour, a member of the Stability Front who supported Saeed Jalili in the fourteenth presidential election to bring the government under the shadow of the executive branch, is now seeking the election of the Isfahan governor and promoting his candidate Mehdi Jamalinjead in the media to prepare the public opinion for his candidacy in Isfahan. Bankipour introduced himself to society as one of the designers of the Hijab and Chastity Bill. He was one of the first individuals to delve into the details of the Hijab and Chastity Bill and made controversial comments about the penalties for hijab violations, which led to various reactions, including from Masoud Pezeshkian.
At that time, in February 2024, Pezeshkian reacted to this issue and stated that people may have concerns about Bankipour and his ideology. It is possible that his statement is correct, but his way of speaking and his proposed solutions are impractical and unattainable. Now, a person who, according to the doctors, causes concern among the public with his way of speaking is supposed to confront the public opinion against the government, forcing the president to accept Jamalinjead as the governor.
Who is Jamalinjead?
Mehdi Jamalinejad was elected as the mayor of Isfahan on 20 June 2015, and his decree was signed and announced in July. Before that, he held various positions in Isfahan province, including Deputy of Civil Affairs at the Governorate of Isfahan, Deputy of Coordination of District Affairs and Municipal Organizations in Isfahan, Director General of Urban Affairs and Provincial Councils in Isfahan, Advisor and Director General of the Governor’s Office in Isfahan, and Advisor on Civil Affairs in Isfahan. In early September 2017, he became the mayor of Yazd and resigned a year later in 2018, which was approved by the Yazd City Council.
He served as the head of the Environmental and Sustainable Development Committee of Isfahan Province, head of the Tourism and Cultural Heritage Committee of Isfahan Province, head of the Infrastructure and Urban Planning Committee of Isfahan Province, head of the Committee for the Implementation of Article 21 of the Law on the Transfer and Revitalization of Government Lands, and head of the Qualification Recognition Committee for Legal Experts of Executive Bodies in Isfahan Province. Due to his presence in various positions in Isfahan, some experts believe that he has tested his luck in this city.
Reactions to Jamalinejad’s governorship
Parazjani’s message to media activists on his X page stated that Mr. Pezeshkian and Aref, the children of Isfahan, are constantly calling, expressing their concern about the appointment of the Front of Stability as the governor. This news will be a major blow to the body of votes in Isfahan and will cause disillusionment among reformist and centrist political activists. Your idea of consensus will face the experiences of the past.
Sajjad Adi, the editor-in-chief of the political-satirical magazine Telkhand, also wrote about this, stating that the options close to Saeed Jalili in the Isfahan governorship are not unity, but hypocrisy. As a citizen of Isfahan, I explicitly say that I am concerned. Mr. Pezeshkian. Mohammad Mahajeri, an active conservative, also emphasized that apparently in several provinces, including Isfahan, contrary to the Supreme Leader’s view of non-interference of the parliament in appointments, they are appointing governors close to this organization. Calling them unity is not unity, it’s foolishness.
Avoid appointing repetitive individuals.
Minoo Khaleqi, an active political and legal analyst, emphasized that the conditions in Isfahan have become more critical in recent years. This province is facing a series of crises such as dust pollution, high levels of air pollution, land subsidence, soil erosion, establishment of water-intensive industries, desertification, the drying up of Zayandehrud River and Gavkhoni Wetland, and the presence of heavy metal-contaminated dust. Apart from the mental challenges for the people of Isfahan, environmental issues have created extensive problems in this province, practically leaving many farmers unemployed. Unfortunately, sustainability in this province has severely declined in quality. Moreover, large projects like the Isfahan-Tehran high-speed train have been left stranded due to the lack of strong management in the province, leading to wrong decisions by the Ministry of Roads. It is necessary to have an efficient national figure, along with the government discourse, in Isfahan.
He added that all these issues indicate that the Isfahan Governorate needs a fresh breath. Those who were previously governors, mayors, or prefects of Isfahan have implemented any ideas they had during their tenure. That’s why we say that these individuals should step aside from these positions and let new forces with new thinking and decision-making and negotiation capabilities enter the national level. Someone who has the ability to present solutions to the province’s problems. Note that the crises in Isfahan have not changed much over the years. Those who have held these positions, whether as mayors or governors, have not presented any solutions before, and the problems still persist. Why should we retest the tested? On the other hand, Mr. Momeni, the Minister of Interior, also stated in a TV interview that if someone has been a governor in a province before, their management should not be repeated in the same province. This statement by the Minister of Interior must definitely be implemented so that we can witness positive changes.
This reformist political activist, referring to the hope that arose among the people with the change of government, said that now that Mr. Pazhuheshi’s government is responsible, if the forces and representatives of the Stability Front want to determine the fate for Isfahan and specify the Isfahan province governor, what hope remains among other supporters of the Pazhuheshi and moderates? What hope remains when one of the authors and spokespersons of the Hijab and Chastity bill, which causes numerous problems and divisions in the country, leads the selection of the Isfahan province governor? Under these conditions, the hope of a large number of city residents and supporters of the Pazhuheshi disappears, and they become alienated, not stepping into the election field for another 4 years. Isfahan needs a governor who believes in the policies of Pazhuheshi to be able to create a national reconciliation discourse in this province, especially since the Isfahan governor should not be from the past forces, but rather should be an efficient and fresh force.
Khalqi emphasized that if the preferred option is chosen by the members of the Stability Front in Isfahan Province, it will reduce the 38% that they voted for the doctors. At that time, people like me will also have no reason to encourage people to come to the polls. On the other hand, the leadership authorities emphasized that it is good for good representatives not to interfere in the elections. Unfortunately, in the selection of the Isfahan governor, the most attention has been paid to the wishes of the representatives, contrary to the leader’s directive. In these circumstances, currently, there must be a force in Isfahan that seeks to increase consensus so that the votes of the doctors in Isfahan can be defended, and future election winners can be encouraged with votes.
Coordination, yes; implementing the representatives’ views, no.
Some believe that the country and provinces are not barracks, and the people are not soldiers who must obey government orders. Mahmoud Hosseini, the governor of Isfahan during the government of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, is one of these individuals. He criticized the introduction of Jamalinejad by the Stability Front to the public, saying it is a flaw that the assembly of representatives should determine the fate of the Ministry of Interior in the selection of the governor.
He mentioned that representatives should not be the determiner of the governor for several reasons. First, due to the constitutional prohibition and separation of powers. Second, if representatives appoint the governor, he becomes indebted to them and must comply with their orders and directives, which is not good for the government. The third reason is that this kind of policy-making leads to conflicts because the governor should be the first person in the province and must align with the government’s policies and the president’s discourse to implement the government’s policies. People, especially those who voted for physicians, demand change. Even a significant portion of those who did not participate in the elections also expect change. If the Isfahan governor is supposed to maintain the current situation, people, especially the social base and the backbone of physician votes, become disillusioned with the government and create a gap that is not easily filled.
Hosseini emphasized the importance of coordination between the governor and the elected representatives. He regretted that currently, the Ministry of Interior’s political deputy insists on implementing the representatives’ views, which is a major political mistake. After 6 months or a year, the government faces significant dissatisfaction in the provinces. The Ministry of Interior should reconsider the policy of implementing the representatives’ views in the selection of governors and prefects. Coordination is very different from enforcing the representatives’ views in choosing a governor.
The governor of Isfahan during the Reformist government stated that Isfahan province currently faces many problems. The water crisis and drought in Zayandehrud River in Isfahan continue to worsen. Issues such as land subsidence, migration from villages to the outskirts of major cities, income inequalities, and class gaps have made Isfahan prone to urban protests. Moreover, dissatisfaction in this province is very high. Therefore, a competent, experienced, and development-oriented individual should be chosen for the governorship of Isfahan.
If someone has a good experience, it should be utilized, but overall, people’s satisfaction must be taken into account. They cannot say we rule and people must obey. The Isfahan governor should be charismatic and able to create a link between the people and the government, while also following up on people’s demands from the government. Additionally, the Isfahan governor should be a comprehensive individual who can implement correct policies, especially the policies of justice and unity that physicians raised in the elections.
