Hossein Mohammadi

Ahmad Shirzad was a representative in the sixth Majlis who was disqualified from running for ‎the seventh Majlis. Rooz has conducted an exclusive interview with Shirzad about the upcoming ‎Majlis elections, in which Shirzad plans to participate. Below is an excerpt of this interview. ‎

Rooz (R): Mr. Shirzad, given the predictions about the scope of disqualifications, why have you ‎decided to run in the upcoming elections?‎

Ahmad Shirzad (AS): I don't see any reason for not participating. As a politician, I naturally use ‎every opportunity to accomplish my goals. I was given an opportunity to enter the political stage ‎at the sixth Majlis election, but that opportunity was taken away from me in the seventh Majlis ‎elections. I never recognized the decision to disqualify me in the seventh Majlis elections as ‎legitimate. That decision was illegal and baseless. The supervisory committee is not allowed to ‎disqualify people based on its political taste. I will continue to run for office as long as I refuse ‎to accept as legitimate their decision to disqualify me. ‎

‎(R): So do you think the Guardian Council may qualify you this time around?‎

‎(AS): The decision to disqualify me was made not based on any reasoned principles, but based ‎on a certain political atmosphere and a certain political ideology dominating the supervisory ‎committee. That's why it is not an eternal decision, and it may change, although it seems ‎unlikely that the Guardian Council would change its mind this time around, unless it is forced ‎into doing such. ‎

‎(R): Do you think foreign pressure is effective in changing the Council's behavior? ‎

‎(AS): Unfortunately, foreign pressure is exerted in order to achieve the aims and interests of ‎foreign governments, and is mainly focused on the nuclear issue and Iran's regional stances. ‎Experience has shown us that issues like human rights and free and fair elections do not raise as ‎much sensitivity with foreign government. Foreign governments cannot look after the interests ‎of Iranian people. The nation must decide for itself. ‎

‎(R): Do you think that more candidates will be disqualified compared to seventh Majlis ‎elections? ‎

‎(AS): It is not predictable. Our previous prediction was that disqualifications will not be as ‎severe as in the seventh Majlis elections, but we don't expect them to be as few as the sixth ‎Majlis elections. The news that we hear is not good news. Executive committees have already ‎begun opening cases for many of the candidates. In any case, we hope for that not to happen but ‎we have to wait a few days to see what the gentlemen decide to do. ‎

‎(R): How do you interpret the refusal on the part of many of Mr. Rafsanjani's close allies to run ‎in the upcoming elections? ‎

‎(AS): I cannot speak for others, but what we are witnessing right now among the political and ‎social elite is a kind of pessimism and hopelessness toward prospects of reforming the regime, ‎and that is very saddening. The people who must step forward and act seriously to reform the ‎system and lead the nation are all stepping aside because of one excuse or another. They have ‎lost hope that they can do something. ‎