Several weeks before conducting a new round of election at Iran's Assembly of Experts for choosing a new chairman and the presiding board of the powerful body, a hardline political current was trying to impose a false political rivalry to the assembly and feign that a wide gap exists between the eminent figures of the Islamic Republic. However the election was held in an absolutely cordial climate. With 86 clerics as members, the Assembly of Experts in the Islamic Republic of Iran is tasked with appointing the Supreme Leader of the Revolution and monitoring his actions.
Due to his respect for Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, the former Iranian president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani withdrew from the candidacy for the post of Assembly of Experts' chairman and overwhelming majority of the attended members (64 out of 81) voted to Mahdavi Kani as the sole candidate. Mr. Mahdavi was appointed as the new chairman and Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani is currently heading the Expediency Council of the Islamic Republic.
Hojatoleslam Mahmoud Alavi believes that the aforementioned hardline political current is still following its plot and since is not pleased with selecting a moderate figure like Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani as the new chairman of the Assembly of Experts is still making new efforts to take advantage of abstentions at the recent election held in the body.
Khabar Online: How do you evaluate the role to be played by Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani and Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani in making the political climate of the country more moderate?
If Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani was not supposed to take the responsibility as the new chairman and play a role on the political scene, and if the others were to announce their candidacy for the post it would be unlikely for Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani to withdraw his candidacy. Naturally that situation could cause a tense climate which would be a source of a serious worry for political figures and pro-revolution people. on the other hand, it could turn into a source of hope for the enemies who could take advantage of the disagreement between elite political figures particularly in the Assembly of Experts.
Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani's generous act was admired by the members of the Assembly of Experts. Moreover in a meeting with these members, the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] appreciated his gesture.
Regarding the fact that Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani is one of the long-standing and moderate figures of the revolution who in recent years avoided taking a political post and responsibility, what influence can he put on the political climate of the country?
Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani is among those figures of the Islamic Republic system whose career is crystal clear and his reputation has never been
blemished. Actually he, his peers and the members of the Assembly of Experts in general announce their candidacy or withdraw from candidacy based on a sense of responsibility and duty. Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani ran for the election based on such sense, the same is true for Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani who decided to withdraw from the election.
The new situation has provided a very good opportunity to bridge the gap between the ideas and approaches which are different. It is due to the ethical tendency of these two prominent figures of the Islamic Republic. That not only prevented a new gap to emerge, but prepared the ground for resolving many problems and differences. Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani in particular has proved that in any occasion, he is able to play the role of a peacemaker on the political scene. In the course of the Islamic Revolution whenever disagreements occurred between the elites of the Islamic Revolution and turned to sharp disputes, he has taken steps to settle them. He adjusted many conflicts which if had been continued could cause damages to the Islamic Republic system and the Revolution.
Through making permanent efforts, he wisely warded off threats against the Revolution.
Before the recent election of the Assembly of Experts, a hard-line political current tried to impose a type of false political rivalry on the vote, but owing to the shrewdness of Ayatollah Hashemi and Ayatollah Mahdavi it failed. Why do you think it was frustrated?
I see the reason in the lack of knowledge about the nature and depth of the Assembly of Experts. Some think that the members of the assembly will be influenced by smear campaign and the creation of a hostile atmosphere. In order to influence the members of the Assembly of Experts, they waged a propaganda war, however it has been asserted that the experts are free jurisprudents (foqaha) which decide and act simply based on the best interests of the Revolution and Islamic Republic system.
It seems that even after the Assembly of Experts' election was held, the aforementioned political current is still insisting on imposing such false political rivalry, why?
In the final analysis the enemies of the Islamic Republic system and Revolution spare no efforts to create divisions among various factions in the country. Some unwise and ignorant friends also act in line with the enemies' objectives and pave the way for them. As we know, they have hacked the websites of the Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Council. Confronting such psychological war demands the alertness of the children of the Islamic republic system and Revolution to avoid being manipulated by the foes in their mischievous measures.
As a person who voted for Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani based on his belief, I think those who abstained from voting to him did not intend to show that they are unapproved of him or have a negative view of him, since all are aware about his records and acknowledge his qualification for the post.
How do you analyze the possible future events? Do you suppose that we will witness such immoral political actions taken against the Assembly of Experts?
It doesn't seem unlikely. It reminds me of a similar event which dates back to several years ago. In the second term of the presidency of the (incumbent) Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Khamenei] when a poll was carried out in the Majlis (Parliament) for giving vote of confidence to the prime minister of the day, 99 lawmakers gave vote of censure to him. At that time some took advantage of the abstention of some MPs and drew up a list which included even the names of those who abstained or did not attend that session of Majlis. They implicitly wanted to show that was the list of those lawmakers who acted against the late Imam Khomeini [the founder of the Islamic Republic system] and his line. Through leveling various kinds of accusations and using different labels they tried to damage the reputation of those lawmakers.
Even now it's not far-fetched that due to their bias, some try to ruin the character of those who abstain from voting and take their abstention as a crime. However people are free to vote, avoid voting or abstain. The abstention from voting is not something new and in the earlier rounds of elections for choosing the presiding board and chairman of the Assembly of Experts we witnessed that, but since in the earlier rounds there were more candidates running for the election, the number of abstentions was fewer.
So if someone avoids giving a vote to a candidate, no one is authorized to accuse him and defame his character, because it's against the ethics and political piety. As the leader of Islamic Revolution in his meeting with the members of the Assembly of Experts underlined that some radical and immoral political actions should be abandoned.
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