NCRI – The regime’s election campaign commission at the Interior Ministry made a decision during a meeting with representatives of the judiciary to ban live debates of the presidential candidates.
The decision was met with a reaction and response from Khamenei’s faction, including Abdul Ali Askar, chairman of the Iranian regime’s state broadcasting services. After the announcement of the election campaign commission’s decision on April 21st, Askar said, “Despite the insistence of the national media for live broadcast candidates debates, the election campaign commission, at a meeting chaired by the Interior Minister, unfortunately rejected the proposal and approved a recorded debate yesterday.” Another member of Khamenei’s faction and a Member of Parliament, Ahmad Salak said while attacking Rouhani on April 22nd, “Those people who are afraid of a live debate, they do certainly have some difficulties with their acts and they do not have the appropriate responses for people’s problems. They should be afraid of live debates.”
A former member of parliament from Khamenei’s faction, Masoud Mir-Kazemi, also called the removal of a live debate of the candidates as a soft dictatorship by the executive branch. Alireza Zakani, a disqualified candidate from Khamenei’s faction, said regarding banning of live debate, “Unfortunately, given the secrecy and lack of transparency of the executive branch in past 4 years, we must mark this as another discriminatory act brought on the major and minor candidates.” Khamenei’s faction media showcased similar reactions. For example, State run Evening Site wrote, “Holding no debates, means civil rights are nothing. The fear of knowing the facts of 4 years of detrimental political and economic conditions by the people led the executive branch elected election campaign commission to place it in an air bobble!” The regime’s parliament Site Mazand wrote, “In your opinion, what is the charm of recorded debate to a live one? Why are some opposed to live broadcasting?”
Similar reactions are seen in many of the media outlets of Khamenei’s faction. For example, the IRGC News Agency (known as Fars) wrote on April 22nd, “They don’t want to place Rouhani in a responsive position, but not live broadcasting the debates is a civil rights violation.” Tadbir, a state controlled site, has written, “What is the meaning of canceling a live debate? What are they really fearful of? They were qualified by the Guardian Council! If these individuals are so trustworthy that could become the head of the executive branch, why should it be fearsome for them to talk? If they don’t have the qualifications for talking straight with the public, how did they became qualified to run a country?”
It is interesting that this decision was apparently taken by both factions, along with the judiciary representatives, out of fear of opening a gap at the top of the system and fear of another uprising. It is now not only protested by Khamenei’s faction, but also Hassan Rouhani, whose contested election campaign commission made this decision. He said in his remarks in Shiraz on April 21st, “I am a supporter of most free debates in a way that people can better understand all the facts, a man should speak without any stuttering, be able to criticize, and express their points of view.” His rival factions have immediately seized upon his contradictions to undermine him.
Mehdi Mohammadi, from Khamenei’s faction, wrote immediately in his telegram, “Mr. Rouhani has apparently not understood what will happen on May 20. It is an election and he is a candidate. He has ordered his representatives in the election campaign commission to kill the debates and then in Shiraz he preaches that he is a pro-live debate. It is just an insult to the intelligence of the nation.”
Mohsen Rezai, secretary of the regime’s Expediency Council and former IRGC commander, on his own site as Tabnak uncovered and pointed out that in the decision-making meeting, representatives of both factions were present and admitted that ban of live debate was a joint decision due to fear of uprising. Now both factions are trying to save face and shifting the blame onto others.
The above mentioned site wrote, “ A meeting took place at the Interior Ministry headed by the minister deciding on recorded debates instead of live ones……Now, all are playing the game of – who was and wasn’t – blaming each other and protesting the decision. The Rouhani faction is now claiming that rival faction supporters were more involved in that meeting and Khamenei’s factions are saying that the opposition to the live broadcasting of debates was to the benefit of Rouhani’s faction.”
In reality, both rival factions are so afraid of an uprising that they decided to ban live broadcasting of the debates and at the same time, they need to undermine each other. As a result, such a ridiculous drama is created.