Crisis in the Chamber of Commerce: Betrayal to the Private Sector

Crisis in the Chamber of Commerce: Betrayal of the Private Sector

Crisis in the Chamber of Commerce: Betrayal of the Private Sector. According to Iran Gate, Hossein Salah Varzi, the new president of the Chamber of Commerce, after receiving unwavering support from the private sector, made appointments in such a way that independent economic activists accused him of betrayal. Salah Varzi’s actions over the past month and a half have shown that he intended to exploit his sincere supporters in the private sector to solidify his position.

The Chamber of Commerce, which is the largest and oldest non-governmental Iranian institution, has been grappling with serious crises for over four months. These crises stem from the extensive interventions of the government in this institution, aiming to align the private sector’s parliament with Ebrahim Raisi’s government’s policies. However, many believe Hossein Salah Varzi, the new president of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, betrayed his supporters and colluded with Raisi’s government to maintain his position.

Where did the crisis start?

From the very early days of Ebrahim Raisi’s government, there was a sharp divergence with the policies adopted by the managers and heads of the Chamber of Commerce. This divergence grew sharper over time, reaching its peak at the beginning of 2023, to the extent that the government intended to place individuals like Yahya Al Ishaq as its compliant pawn at the head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce. However, this decision faced strong reactions from private sector activists, and the government failed to achieve this goal.

The Security Project of the Chamber of Commerce

Four months ago, before Salah Varzi’s candidacy was even discussed, Iran Gate published a report warning about the security-oriented approach towards the Chamber of Commerce by Ebrahim Raisi’s government. However, other media and private sector activists remained silent against this warning, allowing this government approach to affect independent economic activists in the private sector’s parliament.

Although extensive disqualifications were carried out to ensure government-approved individuals under Seyed Ebrahim Raisi could assume the presidency of the Chamber of Commerce, time showed that such a plan did not succeed. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Intelligence did not have the authority to directly interfere in the electoral process of the Chamber of Commerce presidency, and this action by the thirteenth government is illegal.

Interestingly, the Ministry of Intelligence informed more than 25 candidates participating in the mentioned election of their qualification results via text message. Hossein Salah Varzi was one of these 25 who received a disqualification message, but events unfolded in such a way that he participated in the election and was overwhelmingly elected by the members of the Chamber of Commerce to lead this non-governmental institution.

The Yunus Jaileh Project

Many believe that after failing in the Al Ishaq leadership project, Ebrahim Raisi’s government decided to design a project to place Yunus Jaileh, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and owner of the Shirin Asal industrial group, at the helm of the Chamber of Commerce. Some sources even report that this project was led by Majid-Reza Hariri, president of the Iran-China Chamber. In other words, Hariri was supposed to maneuver the election in such a way that another Guard member would assume the presidency of Iran’s largest and oldest non-governmental institution.

Salah Against the Government

However, as mentioned, the overwhelming majority of Chamber of Commerce members neutralized the government’s project, and Hossein Salah Varzi won the election with a decisive vote. In other words, Salah Varzi managed to attract the negative votes of the Chamber of Commerce members in a tense and tumultuous situation. But immediately, the government and security institutions released documents accusing Salah Varzi of financial corruption and supporting so-called overthrowers of the Islamic Republic.

Some media figures, in collaboration with security institutions, fanned the flames by providing distorted documents to Yunus Jaileh’s team to turn the tide against Salah Varzi. However, the Chamber of Commerce members staunchly defended their choice, and independent media did not abandon this choice. As a result, Hossein Salah Varzi has managed to retain the presidency, and the government has been unable to impose its will.

Salah in the Hands of the Government

However, Salah Varzi’s performance over the past two weeks has shown that the new president of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce not only does not value his supporters among independent private sector members, but his actions indicate he is willing to do anything to maintain the presidency of the private sector’s parliament. In his first official press conference after the Chamber of Commerce presidency election, he so desperately appealed to Ebrahim Raisi that it shocked private sector activists.

From Salah to Sasan

But Salah Varzi’s strange and shocking decisions did not end there, as he appointed individuals that incited the anger of Chamber of Commerce members. Last week, Salah Varzi appointed Sasan Shah Veysi as the Secretary-General of the Chamber of Commerce. Shah Veysi, who presents himself as an international economics expert, is known in the media as a radical and fundamentalist.

He, a graduate of Imam Sadeq University, has a very close alignment with the economic and political policies of Ebrahim Raisi’s government. This alignment not only exists but Shah Veysi is closely associated with the most radical faction present in Raisi’s government and steps in the same direction. His bizarre interviews criticizing independent private sectors or accepting FATF and Palermo bills have been published in the media. He, who has a strange ideological affinity with individuals like Hojatollah Abdolmaleki and Mehrdad Bazrpash, now stands at the helm of Iran’s largest non-governmental institution.

For this reason, it is said that by appointing Sasan Shah Veysi as the Secretary-General of the Chamber of Commerce, who is almost in charge of the private sector’s parliament, Salah Varzi orchestrated a complete betrayal of the private sector activists who had given him full support. This betrayal not only eroded trust in Salah Varzi but also indicates that interesting days do not lie ahead for the Chamber of Commerce and, on a larger scale, Iran’s economy.

What does Raisi want from the Chamber of Commerce?