They Want to Cripple the Administration

After months of pressure and attacks on Rouhani’s administration over its appointments in the ministry of Science and its cultural activities, a resolution by Majlis deputies was submitted to the parliament’s presiding board which summons the minister of science. At the same time, deputies have been calling for the summons and questioning of the ministers of energy, and Jihad and agriculture. These pressures have been added to the daily accusations launched by the hardline principlists in parliament against the sitting administration.

Prior to these, 42 Majlis deputies had accused the administration of weakening national security and had signed a petition to summon the minister of intelligence. Then, Karimi Ghodoosi, a member of the parliament’s national security committee accused president Rouhani of “Preparing a plan to surrender the Iranian people to the enemy.”

This pressure was not confined to the Majlis. Outside it, the recent remarks by ultra-conservative ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, who was the former head of the country’s judiciary, a member of the powerful Guardians Council and the secretary of the influential Teacher Association of the Ghom Theological Center ( Hoze Elmie Ghom ) who said that his institutions had on a number of occasions confidentially warned Mr. Rouhani and even threatened that if he did not heed to these, the issues could be announced to the public, added to the weight on the administration.

We talked with Ahmad Shirzad and Mohammad KianooshRad, both representatives in the sixth Majlis covering the years between 2000 and 2004 about these issues.

In reference to Ghodoosi’s accusation of Rouhani, Shirzad said he should not be taken seriously and that his views did not represent those of the parliament, while acknowledging that “serious differences did exist between the administration and the Majlis.” He said that with the passage of time the effects of the change in government are becoming more apparent. “The results of the new policies are becoming apparent in the middle execution layers. There is still a big difference between the reform administration (a reference to Mohammad Khatami’s presidency) and now, but it appears that there is now more attention to experts’ views in the middle management levels and the new managers and executives are more professional now. Even those that are chosen from the principlists are the more moderate ones. As time passes, more people are realizing that what happened to the country during the last years was mostly because of mismanagement and unqualified executives. I do not want to imply that all the current managers are ideal, but they are certainly more customary.”

More specifically, Shirzad said that the complaints that the principlists were making, particularly in the realm of foreign relations, was because they don’t have anything to say. “In the political sphere, we see a faction that has turned out the looser 100 percent. Many principlists, especially since Ahmadinejad’s second term, have changed their views and positions, and so some have even entered Rouhani’s administration. Ali Janati is an example of this switch. In the future, such drastic changes will be more apparent in domestic issues as well,” he continued.

Regarding ayatollah Yazdi’s criticism, Shirzad said that the cleric had always done everything he could against reforms. “Even though he is a member of the Guardians Council, he lacks executive authority. The Guardians Council and the Ghom Theological Center’s Teacher’s Association to which he belongs also have other cleric members who do not speak out so much and have different views. Yazdi and a few others like him should be taken seriously only when they have massive support, which they do not now have. The opposition and enthusiasm for opposition against reformers that existed in 1997 and 1998 does not exist today. Many of those who were opponents and critics have changed their views while some have become reticent. Overall, such views are not a serious concern nowadays. To be realistic, we must concede that there are still many agencies and groups in power that are in the hands of the principlists but the trend is that they are weakening or changing, particularly in the intellectual and social spheres.

When asked about changes in the judiciary, Shirzad concedes that there has been little change there. “When Larijani came there were some passing changes in the first two months. Overall, the public felt the injustice in the trials that were held for political prisoners, but there have been no changes there while public pressure against the judiciary has increased. These are over political prisoners, over executions, and over punishments in general. Larijani is unfortunately a rigid person and appears to be stuck in the books and teachings he has read and is less influenced by or understands his position. The good thing is that the public is patient and this deprives the hardliners from pursing its goals as easily. That faction is becoming more and more isolated with time.

KianooshRad, the former member of the national security council of the Majlis echoed some of these observations. “Disregarding the realities that were demonstrated in the last presidential elections, the principlists want the administration to change its course in the direction of its goals. They are trying hard to create obstacles for the government in implementing its goals and policies. Among these efforts are the recent summons of cabinet ministers who work in the cultural sphere. They have created a suppressive atmosphere at universities which the administration is trying to break. The government wants to return some of the professors and lecturers that were removed by the previous administration. Principlists know that they have no support in the universities and so try to derail the government through other means, such as summoning cabinet ministers.”

He continued, “These efforts by principlists are to bring the administration’s work to a stop, but these will produce the opposite effect. Even the moderate actions of the principlists will fail.”

Regarding ayatollah Yazdi’s comments, KianooshRad said, “Mr. Yazdi should stop being his confidential manner of criticism and come out in the public and express it. This will make the whole political atmosphere more transparent and then the government will be in a better position to defend its views and policies. Vague criticism by Yazdi against the government has no other purpose than to put pressure on the administration. At a time when the country needs tranquility, it would be better if criticism is aired through proper channels and help is provided to the government to do its job.” He also dismissed the accusations that some Majlis deputies have made about Rouhani planning to surrender the rights of the people and called them “laughable.” The purpose of these accusations he said is to “push the government to embark on harsh responses. Political factions supporting the administration should not pay much attention to these deputies and fall into their trap.”