Warning to the Minister of Interior
The Minister of Interior is preparing to introduce his proposed candidate for the governorship of Isfahan and to gain the cabinet’s approval for the new governor. The mention of Mehdi Jamalinejad and the support from Isfahan’s hardline representatives have raised concerns among the province’s reformist and moderate political activists. Some principlist media outlets, in an interview with Amirhossein Bankipour, a controversial and hardline representative of Isfahan in parliament, announced that Jamalinejad’s chances for the governorship of Isfahan are higher than other candidates. He introduced Eshtari as the first option and Jamalinejad as the second, but considered Jamalinejad’s chances to be higher.
However, the news of one of the members of the Stability Front being settled for the appointment of the governor of Isfahan has met with negative reactions from Isfahan’s moderate and reformist political activists. This news comes as Eskandar Momeni, the Minister of Interior, has appointed Jamalinejad as the head of the country’s Municipalities and Rural Affairs Organization. Many viewed this action by the Isfahan representative as an intrusion into the government’s executive domain, especially for a province as significant as Isfahan.
Stability Front seeks Jamalinejad’s governorship
Bankipour, a member of the Stability Front who supported Saeed Jalili in the fourteenth presidential election to place a shadow government at the helm of the executive branch, is now seeking to choose the governor of Isfahan. He is promoting his candidate, Mehdi Jamalinejad, in the media to prepare public opinion for his candidate’s presence in Isfahan. Bankipour introduced himself to the community as one of the designers of the Hijab and Modesty bill and was among the first to delve into the details of the Hijab and Modesty bill, making controversial remarks about hijab fines, which faced many reactions, including from Masoud Pezeshkian.
At that time, in Esfand 1402, Pezeshkian reacted to this issue and said that as a result, people become problematic with Bankipour and his thinking. It might be that what he says is true, but the way he says it and his solution are impossible and unfeasible. Now, the person whom Pezeshkian believes people find problematic with his manner of speaking is set to turn public opinion against the government so that the president is forced to accept Jamalinejad as governor.
Who is Jamalinejad?
Mehdi Jamalinejad was selected as the mayor of Isfahan on 21 June 2015, and his appointment was signed and announced in July. Before this, he held positions such as Deputy for Urban Affairs of Isfahan Province, Deputy for Coordination of Municipal Areas and Organizations of Isfahan, Director General of Urban Affairs and Councils of Isfahan Province, Advisor and Director General of the Governor’s Office of Isfahan, and Urban Advisor to the Governor of Isfahan. In early September 2016, he became the mayor of Yazd and resigned in October the following year (2017), which was accepted by the Yazd City Council.
He has also held positions such as Head of the Environmental and Sustainable Development Working Group of Isfahan Province, Head of the Tourism and Cultural Heritage Working Group of Isfahan Province, Head of the Infrastructure and Urban Planning Working Group of Isfahan Province, Head of the Article 21 Commission on the Transfer and Revitalization of State Lands, and Head of the Legal Experts Qualification Working Group of Executive Bodies of Isfahan Province. Due to his presence in various positions in Isfahan, some experts believe he has tested his luck in this city.
Reactions to Jamalinejad’s Governorship
Payam Borazjani, a media activist, wrote on his X page: Mr. Pezeshkian and Aref, the youth of Isfahan keep calling to express their concern about the appointment of the Stability Front’s candidate as governor. This news is a major blow to the voting body in Isfahan and will cause despair among reformist and moderate political activists regarding your idea of consensus. The experience of previous ones is before you.
Sajjad Adi, editor of the socio-political satire publication, also wrote about this: Sitting candidates close to Saeed Jalili in the governorship of Isfahan is not called consensus, it’s hypocrisy. As an Isfahani citizen, I openly say I am worried, worried, Mr. Pezeshkian. Mohammad Mohajeri, a principlist activist, also emphasized that it seems in several provinces, including Isfahan, against the Supreme Leader’s advice not to interfere in appointments, the Stability Front representative is trying to place their own governors. Appointing individuals close to this group is not consensus, it’s stupidity.
Avoiding the Appointment of Repeated Individuals
Minoo Khaleghi, a political activist and lawyer, explained and emphasized that the conditions in Isfahan have become more critical over the past years. This province faces a range of crises such as dust storms, air pollution, high levels of mazut burning, land subsidence, soil erosion, the establishment of water-intensive industries, the drying of the Zayandehrud River and Gavkhuni Wetland, and dust contaminated with heavy metals. Besides the psychological problems for the people of Isfahan Province, extensive environmental issues have arisen, rendering many farmers unemployed, and unfortunately, the livability of this province has severely decreased in quality. Additionally, major projects like the Isfahan to Tehran high-speed train have stalled due to a lack of strong management in the province, resulting in misguided decisions in the Ministry of Roads, making the presence of a capable national figure who aligns with the government’s discourse in Isfahan essential.
She added that all these issues indicate that Isfahan’s governorship needs fresh air. Those who were previously governors, mayors, or district governors of Isfahan have already implemented any ideas they had during their terms. That’s why we say it would be better if these individuals relinquished these positions and allowed new forces with new thinking and the ability to make decisions and negotiate at the national level to step in. Someone who can provide solutions to the province’s issues. Note that Isfahan’s crises have not changed much over the years. Those who have held these positions, whether in the municipality or governorship, have not previously provided solutions, which is why the problems still persist. Why test the tested again? On the other hand, Mr. Momeni, the Minister of Interior, also stated in a television interview that if someone has previously been a governor in a province, their management should not be repeated in the same province. This statement by the Minister of Interior must be heeded to witness positive changes.
This reformist political activist referred to the hope that emerged with the change of government and said that now that Mr. Pezeshkian’s government is in charge, if the forces and representatives of the Stability Front want to determine the fate of Isfahan and appoint the governor of Isfahan, what hope remains for other supporters of Pezeshkian and moderates? What hope remains when one of the authors and spokespeople of the Hijab and Modesty bill, which has caused numerous and divisive problems for the country, leads the selection of Isfahan’s governor? Under these circumstances, the hope of many city residents and Pezeshkian supporters will be lost, and they will withdraw, not stepping into the election arena for another four years. Isfahan needs a governor who believes in Pezeshkian’s policies to create a discourse of national consensus in this province, especially since the governor of Isfahan should not be from past forces but should be a capable and fresh force.
Khaleghi emphasized that if the candidate favored by the Stability Front members becomes the governor of Isfahan, the 38% who voted for Pezeshkian will decrease. At that time, I and others like me will have no reason to encourage people to come to the ballot box. On the other hand, the Supreme Leader emphasized that it is good for representatives not to interfere in appointments, but unfortunately, in the selection of the governor of Isfahan, the most attention has been paid to the wishes of the representatives, which is against the Leader’s advice. Under these circumstances, and at present, a force should be appointed as governor in Isfahan that seeks to increase consensus so that Pezeshkian’s vote in Isfahan is defensible and the disappointed with the ballot box can be encouraged in the next elections.
Coordination Yes, Imposing Representatives’ Opinions No
Some believe that the country and provinces are not military barracks and people are not soldiers to follow government orders. Mahmoud Hosseini, the governor of Isfahan during the government of Seyed Mohammad Khatami, is among these individuals. He said about the introduction of Jamalinejad by the Stability Front to Ham-Mihan: It is a valid criticism that why should the assembly of representatives determine the selection of the governor for the Ministry of Interior.
He pointed out that for several reasons, representatives should not be the ones determining the governor. First, due to the constitutional prohibition and the separation of powers. Second, if representatives determine the governor, the governor becomes indebted to them and must follow their recommendations and orders, which is not good for the government. The third reason is that this type of policy-making leads to a dead end because the governor should be the first person in the province and align with the government’s policies and the president’s discourse to follow and implement the government’s policies. People, especially those who voted for Pezeshkian, are demanding change. Even a significant portion of those who did not participate in the elections also expect change and transformation. If the governor of Isfahan is to maintain the status quo, people, especially Pezeshkian’s social base and voting body, will become disappointed, thus distancing themselves from the government, creating a void that will not be easily filled.
Hosseini emphasized that coordinating the governor with representatives is a commendable principle. Unfortunately, the current method of the Ministry of Interior’s political deputy is to definitely apply the representatives’ opinions, which is a major mistake from a policy perspective, leading the government to face major dissatisfaction in the provinces after six months or a year. The Ministry of Interior must reconsider this policy of implementing representatives’ opinions in the selection of governors and district governors. Coordination is very different from imposing representatives’ opinions for selecting a governor.
The governor of Isfahan during the reform government said that the province of Isfahan currently has many problems, and the water crisis and the drying of the Zayandehrud River continue in Isfahan and are even intensifying. Issues like land subsidence, migration from villages to the outskirts of large cities, income disparities, and class gaps have made Isfahan prone to urban protests. Additionally, dissatisfaction in this province is very high, so a capable, experienced, and development-oriented individual should be chosen for the governorship of Isfahan.
If someone has good experience, they should be utilized, but overall, the satisfaction of the people must be considered. They cannot say we issue orders, and people must comply. The governor of Isfahan must be charismatic and able to connect the people with the government and, on the other hand, pursue the people’s demands from the government. Furthermore, the governor of Isfahan must be a comprehensive individual who can implement the correct policies, especially the policies of justice and consensus that Pezeshkian raised in the elections.
