All countries have some mechanism for filtering out unfit candidates: Pundit

An outspoken Iranian political commentator has defended the work of Iran’s Constitutional Council, which is responsible for vetting candidates in general elections, arguing that electoral systems everywhere in the world have a mechanism for filtering out unfit candidates.

“Where in the world would they open up the way when someone wants to be a candidate?” Hossein Shariatmadari, who is the editor-in-chief of the Tehran-based Kayhan newspaper, asked during a Sunday night live interview on the Iranian TV’s Channel Two about the upcoming presidential election in Iran.

There are qualifications that potential candidates must first meet in order to be able to run for office, Shariatmadari said, adding that Iran’s Constitutional Council is there to vet those qualifications.

The Constitutional Council is composed of six faqihs (experts in Islamic Law) and six legal jurists. The council, among other things, is tasked with carefully vetting candidates running for office.

Shariatmadari drew a comparison between Iran’s Constitutional Council and the United States’ Supreme Court, the latter of which he said has the final say on many issues, including elections, where it can overrule decisions made by other governmental bodies.

He made a reference to the United States’ 2000 presidential election, in which Republican George W. Bush was pitted against Democratic Al Gore, and where the Supreme Court decided the outcome of the election in favor of Bush even though Gore had garnered more popular votes.

But, Shariatmadari said, there is also a major difference between the Iranian Constitutional Council and the American Supreme Court.

“They differ with us in one big thing,” the conservative commentator said. “They base their decisions on their personal opinions, whereas here, the Constitutional Council decides in accordance with the law.”

Also, when the Council disqualifies a person, it is bound to give that person the reason behind the disqualification, he said.

“The Constitutional Council says, ‘If you like, you can go ahead and publish the reason,’” he said, urging potentially disqualified nominees to disclose the reason behind their disqualification instead of questioning the Council’s decision.

The comments came days after the Council’s spokesman, Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaee, noted that in many countries, a regulatory process similar to the Council’s vetting process takes place within each party, after which the final candidates will go on to vie on the national and federal levels.

In Iran, however, such a party system does not exist, and therefore the Constitutional Council takes that responsibility, Kadkhodaee added.

Iran is set to hold its next presidential election on June 18. The incumbent president, Hassan Rouhani, is ineligible to run for re-election as presidents are limited to two consecutive terms in office.

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