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Ali Mazroui, a former Iranian MP in the sixth Majlis and current president of the Iranian ‎Association of Journalists, told Rooz that widespread disqualifications have ‎predetermined the outcome of 190 races prior to election day. Below is an excerpt of this ‎interview. ‎

Rooz (R): What is your evaluation of widespread disqualifications by election oversight ‎committees? ‎

Ali Mazroui (AM): It was very unexpected, and, in fact, it showed that the movement ‎that began in the seventh Majlis has disqualified more than ninety percent of reformists ‎candidates already, and has actually pre-fixed the outcome of 190 races. ‎

R: Given the performance of election oversight committees in the seventh Majlis and the ‎composition of oversight committees, why was it unexpected? ‎

AM: Because in previous elections, the disqualifications were handed down by the ‎Guardian Council and not the oversight committees (under the interior ministry), which ‎previously dealt mostly with verifying the candidates’ paperwork and applications. It has ‎been unprecedented for the ministry of interior’s oversight committee to disqualify ‎candidates for “lack of belief and conviction in Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran” ‎and “lack of belief in Constitution and absolute supreme leadership.” That was a job for ‎the Guardian Council. ‎

R: What is your analysis of the disqualification trend? ‎

AM: This as a trend that was seen in years following the revolution many times, and now ‎has reached a point where they want to completely kick reformists out of government, ‎and I think after that it will be the hardliners’ turn. The hardliners will be disunited and ‎many of them will be kicked out of government in the same way. Even right now we see ‎some who belong to the hardliner camp and are Majlis MP’s but have been disqualified. ‎

R: Some Majlis MP’s who are currently serving in the Majlis have been disqualified. ‎How can someone who has been disqualified for upcoming elections continue to serve as ‎MP’s for the remaining months? ‎

AM: These are unanswerable questions, and maybe those who have been in charge of ‎disqualifications can answer that. We cannot understand and analyze that. ‎