Ali Larijani’s Quiet Entry into the Elections

Ali Larijani’s Quiet Entry into the Elections

Ali Larijani’s Quiet Entry into the Elections: According to Iran Gate, after Ali Larijani’s meaningful statements about not running in the parliamentary elections, reports have emerged indicating the quiet entry of the former Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly’s supporters into the electoral race to secure seats in the twelfth parliament. It is said that out of approximately 450 former parliamentary representatives, more than half are close to Ali Larijani, who have volunteered to run in the 2023 elections.

In recent days, reports have been published indicating that 457 former representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly have registered to participate in this year’s electoral race. It is said that more than 200 of them are close to Ali Larijani and have a good chance of being approved. This development comes as the former Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly recently announced his absence from the twelfth parliamentary elections and deferred explaining the reason for his decision to the future.

Quiet and Intelligent

Recently, one of the country’s newspapers reported that 457 former representatives have registered for the parliamentary elections, a significant number of whom decided to take this step on Ali Larijani’s recommendation. Analysts believe that the release of this news exactly one day after Larijani’s statements about his non-participation in the parliamentary elections is indicative of the quiet and intelligent entry of the former head of the legislative branch into the country’s political arena.

However, these reports are not limited to this brief and ambiguous news. Reports have also emerged about the presence of two current members of the Expediency Discernment Council, two former ambassadors of the Islamic Republic of Iran, two former ministers, two former governors, two former vice presidents, one parliamentary deputy of the president, nine former parliamentary committee heads, two party secretaries general, and three former ministerial deputies.

This composition indicates Ali Larijani’s serious determination to return to the country’s political scene, and it seems he intends to return with full force. This news, which could also cause concern among hardline and traditional conservatives, has been met with strong reactions from some ultra-revolutionary figures who also have a significant presence in Ebrahim Raisi’s government.

Early Reaction from the Stability Front

Now it can be said that the release of this news justifies the recent attacks by Sadegh Mahsouli, the Secretary-General of the Stability Front, on Ali Larijani. These attacks targeted Ali Larijani personally and his tenure as the head of the legislative branch, accusing him of betraying the country and the Islamic revolutionary ideals. With the political scene becoming clearer, it can be concluded that the Stability Front is terrified of the entry of Ali Larijani’s associates into the parliamentary elections and intends to provoke the Guardian Council into confronting the moderate conservatives and centrists close to Hassan Rouhani’s administration by fabricating cases and creating chaos.

Therefore, it is said that the repeated reactions of domestic hardliners to the release of this news could mean increased attention from the Stability Front to the country’s moderate and centrist currents. A front that has so far been intensely engaged with figures like Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and even Ebrahim Raisi, but now seems to be driven to blind reactions out of fear of the moderates’ return to the political arena.

The Guardian Council’s Blade Sharper Than Ever

Some analysts believe that statements like those from Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel regarding the twelfth parliament becoming more moderate compared to the current parliament indicate a serious intention to allow bureaucrats and moderates into the electoral arena by the Guardian Council and especially the core of power in the Islamic Republic.

Indeed, the positions recently taken by the Guardian Council and the remarks heard from the Ministry of Interior’s platforms also indicate the sharpness of the supervisory blade. A blade that has not felt any dulling and some even believe it will be sharper than ever in the 2023 parliamentary elections, cutting down any dissenting and even less agreeable voices.

However, some analysts also believe that the ruling power has concluded that the uniformity of power has not only failed to untangle the knots of the Islamic Republic but has also added to the internal conflicts within the conservative current. On the other hand, the inefficiency of both the legislative and executive branches has reached a point where the country is on the brink of collapse. Therefore, some believe the ruling power is forced to show a friendly face to figures like Ali Larijani to slightly reduce the inefficiency of the country’s executive and legislative apparatuses and perhaps navigate through this sensitive and dangerous juncture.

Ali Larijani’s Return: Opportunistic or a Decision for Change