Omid Memarian
o.memarian@roozonline.com

Rooz has conducted an exclusive interview with Azar Mansouri, deputy director of ‎political affairs at the Islamic Iran Participation Front [Hezb-e Mosharekat-e Iran-e ‎Eslami]. Below is an excerpt of this interview. ‎

Rooz (R): What is your initial evaluation of reports covering the registration of reformist ‎and conservative candidates in the past few days?‎

Azar Mansouri (AM): As far as I know, the conservatives have a higher number of ‎registrants than reformists and independents. I have to add that reformist parties had ‎already agreed on the number and identity of their registrants, so their numbers could not ‎have exceeded a certain limit. However, the high number of registrants on the ‎conservative side points to divisions and lack of cohesion, something that we have been ‎witnessing for some time now. ‎

R: What differences do you see between the build-up to the seventh and eight Majlis ‎elections?‎

AM: Prior to the seventh Majlis elections, on the one hand conservatives spent their time ‎downplaying the achievements of Khatami’s government and the sixth Majlis, while on ‎the other they created an atmosphere of despair and pessimism by creating constant crises ‎for the reform government.‎

Meanwhile, while reviewing the credentials of candidates for the seventh Majlis, the ‎Guardian Council vetted and disqualified a large majority of reformist candidates, fixing ‎the outcome of 190 races prior to election time. That was the country’s atmosphere prior ‎to the seventh Majlis elections. That is how conservatives took over the seventh Majlis. ‎Later on, they took over the executive branch as well, and we witnessed a fully ‎conservative government. ‎

R: How do you evaluate the performance of this fully conservative government, in the ‎past two and a half years at least?‎

AM: With respect to foreign policy and international affairs, we are in very critical and ‎sensitive times. Domestically, we have witnessed growing crises in economic, cultural ‎and social affairs. ‎

R: How did a fully conservative government bring us to this point?‎

AM: [The crises] emerged most importantly out of the ineptitude and weak management ‎of the executive branch. Also, this Majlis was not the kind of Majlis to act swiftly and ‎observe the duties that law has set aside for it. ‎

R: How much could these conditions help bring about change in the coming elections?‎

AM: On the one hand, these conditions have prepared the public for the resurgence of ‎reformists. On the other hand, they have created vast and very serious divisions among ‎conservatives. In any case, we hope not to have the bitter experience of the seventh ‎Majlis elections, specially since our country is in a critical and special situation right ‎now. The formation of a resolute and effective Majlis can help solve many of the crises ‎ahead of us and bring about normalcy for the country. ‎

R: Do you think that if more reformist candidates are allowed into the Majlis the ‎relationship between Majlis and administration will change? ‎

AM: If that happens, we will definitely see a change in the ninth administration’s plans ‎and policies for the remainder of its term. ‎