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Gov't Spokesman: Ahmadinejad's presence at Interior Min legally OK

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 13, IRNA -- Government spokesman said Sunday president's attendance at Interior Ministry Sunday was quite alright legally speaking, adding, "President Ahmadinejad attended Interior Ministry as a real entity, not as the president."

According to IRNA, Gholam-Hossein Elham who was speaking at the end of the cabinet ministers' Sunday session with a group of reporters made the comment in response to a question on the protests made about the president's presence at the Interior Ministry side by side with his close aide Esfandiar Rahim-Masha'ie during his registration as a presidential hopeful, and his justification that he had taken a few hours off from the Presidential Office for the purpose.

The spokesman incumbent Guardians Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran Constitution on Sunday opined that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's move was against Article 76 of the IRI Election Law.

Elham emphasized as a lawyer, "Since the president has no direct responsibility in the elections, the Article 76 of the Election Law does not include the president", adding, "Dr. Ahmadinejad announced at the Interior Ministry that he had not attended there as the president and that he would make no comments as the president, adding that he was there on leave from the President's Office."

The Government spokesman who had thus far rarely ever spoken said, "I request everyone to use an appropriate literature when you speak about the president, and to survey the matters precisely before broadcasting them."

Elham added, "Considering an individual as a criminal and before surveying and proving his crime at a legitimate court of justice issuing a verdict about him is not right and this is a kind of making baseless accusations."

He noted, "Greater care is needed when speaking in case of the head of the executive branch of power, the president."

Focusing on the Sunday remarks of the Guardians Council Spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhoda'ie (also a lawyer) who said that the president's behavior is illegal and the GC has reported the violation to the Judiciary Force, Elham said, "If there are doubts about the legal nature of a deed, they had better say there are doubts about the legal nature of that deed, and we have forwarded the matter to the judiciary for further survey."

The Government Spokesman Elham, furthermore, emphasized that there was nothing wrong legally with the presence of the president at the Interior Ministry, saying, "In accordance with the Election Laws, the official election campaign starts after the approval of the competence of the candidates for running for president."

He reiterated, "After that no one can propagate in contradiction with the officially approved norms and regulations stated in the text of the Election Laws."

The government spokesman further elaborated, "If it is so, today when the country's national radio-TV channels broadcast the comments and news on the hopefuls who have registered this can be regarded as a part of their presidential campaign, as the allowed period for campaign has not started yet, but we do not criticize the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting for doing so."

On Article 76 of the Election Laws, he elaborated, "In this article it is said that the executive and supervisor officials involved in the elections are not allowed to speak in favor of, or against any of the candidates."

Elham said, "As the president has reiterated, our political system is structured in a way that no one can impose his will against the will of this great nation."

Iran’s constitutional watchdog said Sunday it will seek possible charges against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for allegedly violating rules by accompanying his chief adviser to the election registry office the previous day.

Ex-president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani and top Ahmadinejad aide Masha'ie announced their intent to run on last day and last hours of the registrations.

It could also herald potential difficulties for Ahmadinejad’s favorite candidate, Esfandiar Rahim Masha'ie, to be cleared for the June 14th presidential election, which is to pick Ahmadinejad’s successor.

The president himself is not running since Iran’s constitution bars him from seeking a third term in office.

The group that complained on Sunday, the Guardian Council, also vets all candidates for the presidency. Masha'e is among more than 680 hopefuls, but no more than a handful will be selected for the final ballot.

State TV quoted Guardian Council spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei as saying the claims against Ahmadinejad will be referred to the country’s judiciary for possible charges.

The Council’s members said that public fund rules were broken when Ahmadinejad accompanied Masha'ie to the election registration office on Saturday, said Kadkhoda'ie.

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