Elham Esmaeili

The provisional government’s oil minister Moeinfar believes that the election will ‎become more effective only if the issue of “reforming the Constitution” is issued. We ‎read this interview together. ‎

Rooz (R): In your opinion, is it possible to meet Mr. Khatami’s demands? ‎

Ali Akbar Moeinfar (AAM): Obviously not and the reason for that is the present ‎composition of power in the country. When he is beholden to the principle of will of the ‎jurist he must know that one necessary ingredient is to limit the president’s power. ‎Therefore, it seems like it is possible to meet Mr. Khatami’s demand only when he ‎openly announces that the Islamic Republic Constitution must be amended and ‎institutions that undermine democracy must be dissolved. But the problem is that he does ‎not believe in such reforms or does not have the courage or expediency to voice them, ‎and when he wants more power he wants to announce it indirectly and does not clearly ‎say who opposed and hindered his free reign as president during his two terms in office. ‎

R: In your opinion, does the Iranian system essentially allow anyone outside the ranks of ‎the Principalists to run for presidency? ‎

AAM: What is obvious is that someone like Abdullah Nouri will not be allowed to run ‎and he will be vetted. With respect to Mr. Khatami, however, I do not think he will be ‎vetted but suppose he runs, and suppose his candidacy is approved by the Guardian ‎Council, I still don’t think it is clear that he will receive enough votes. The main vote ‎belongs to the silent and dissatisfied majority which usually does not participate in the ‎election. Naturally when no issue is clearly discussed and the same old conditions are ‎present it is not clear whether people will vote. The important issue in our country is the ‎issue of 25 million eligible voters that do not vote in the election; as they didn’t in the ‎past two elections. ‎

R: What issues are you talking about? ‎

AAM: I am referring to amending the Constitution and removing principles that ‎undermine the right of people to govern themselves. So long as these principles are in ‎the Constitution it is not possible to establish a democratic government; the mixture that ‎Mr. Khatami tried to present last time around as religious democracy can no longer color-‎coat this fact. ‎

R: In your opinion, what is the best case scenario facing the Iranian election? ‎

AAM: If the presidential election effectively turns into a national referendum it is ‎possible that a portion of those 25 million voters that do not participate in the election ‎would do so. In that case, rather than having the main goal as electing the president, a ‎movement can be established with the aim of reforming the Constitution. If a candidate ‎enters the scene with the slogan of returning to the initial draft of the Constitution (and ‎this candidate does not have to be approved by the Guardian Council either) there is the ‎possibility that people would come to the voting booth and vote in large numbers for that ‎candidate. Obviously the results of such an act would not be announced by the governing ‎regime but it could act as the foundation for a national liberation movement. ‎