Prominent Journalist: Every Nation Has Own Vetting System
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- An influential journalist and commentator has defended the Iranian Constitutional Council’s vetting of candidates, saying electoral systems everywhere in the world have a mechanism to filter out unfit hopefuls.
"Where in the world would they open up the way when someone wants to be a candidate?” Hussein Shariatmadari, the managing editor of Tehran-based Kayhan newspaper, told the national television’s Channel Two.
There are qualifications that potential candidates must first meet in order to be able to run, Shariatmadari said, adding Iran’s Constitutional Council is there to vet those qualifications.
The Constitutional Council is composed of six faqihs or experts in Islamic law and six legal jurists. The council is tasked with carefully vetting candidates to ascertain their compliance Islamic tenets and revolutionary principles.
Shariatmadari drew a comparison between Iran’s Constitutional Council and the U.S. Supreme Court which has the final say on elections and can overrule decisions made by other governmental bodies.
He made a reference to the United States’ 2000 presidential election, in which Republican George W. Bush was pitted against Democratic Al Gore, and where the Supreme Court decided the outcome of the election in favor of Bush even though Gore had garnered more popular votes.
Shariatmadari said there is a major difference between the Iranian Constitutional Council and the American Supreme Court.
"They differ with us in one big thing. They base their decisions on their personal opinions, whereas here, the Constitutional Council decides in accordance with the law,” he added.
Also, when the council disqualifies a person, it is bound by law to enunciate the reasons behind the disqualification.
"The Constitutional Council says if you like, you can go ahead and publish the reason,” Shariatmadari said, urging disqualified nominees to disclose the reason behind their disqualification instead of questioning the council’s decision.
The comments came days after the council’s spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaee noted that in many countries, a regulatory process similar to the council’s vetting process takes place within each party, after which the final candidates are picked to run in the elections.
Such a party system does not exist, and therefore the Constitutional Council takes that responsibility, Kadkhodaee added.
Iran is set to hold its next presidential election on June 18. The incumbent president, Hassan Rouhani, cannot to run for re-election as presidents are limited to two consecutive terms in office.
"Where in the world would they open up the way when someone wants to be a candidate?” Hussein Shariatmadari, the managing editor of Tehran-based Kayhan newspaper, told the national television’s Channel Two.
There are qualifications that potential candidates must first meet in order to be able to run, Shariatmadari said, adding Iran’s Constitutional Council is there to vet those qualifications.
The Constitutional Council is composed of six faqihs or experts in Islamic law and six legal jurists. The council is tasked with carefully vetting candidates to ascertain their compliance Islamic tenets and revolutionary principles.
Shariatmadari drew a comparison between Iran’s Constitutional Council and the U.S. Supreme Court which has the final say on elections and can overrule decisions made by other governmental bodies.
He made a reference to the United States’ 2000 presidential election, in which Republican George W. Bush was pitted against Democratic Al Gore, and where the Supreme Court decided the outcome of the election in favor of Bush even though Gore had garnered more popular votes.
Shariatmadari said there is a major difference between the Iranian Constitutional Council and the American Supreme Court.
"They differ with us in one big thing. They base their decisions on their personal opinions, whereas here, the Constitutional Council decides in accordance with the law,” he added.
Also, when the council disqualifies a person, it is bound by law to enunciate the reasons behind the disqualification.
"The Constitutional Council says if you like, you can go ahead and publish the reason,” Shariatmadari said, urging disqualified nominees to disclose the reason behind their disqualification instead of questioning the council’s decision.
The comments came days after the council’s spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaee noted that in many countries, a regulatory process similar to the council’s vetting process takes place within each party, after which the final candidates are picked to run in the elections.
Such a party system does not exist, and therefore the Constitutional Council takes that responsibility, Kadkhodaee added.
Iran is set to hold its next presidential election on June 18. The incumbent president, Hassan Rouhani, cannot to run for re-election as presidents are limited to two consecutive terms in office.