Democracy Slam
In the Islamic Republic of Iran. Guardians Council bans one in three candidates for parliamentary elections. Don’t worry, it’s just the embezzlers, the corrupt, those with bad reputations in their neighborhoods, drug users, ties to the former US-backed shah regime, those who have acted against the Islamic Republic, those who do not adhere to the values of Islam, or have links to separatists, terrorists, foreign secret services, that kind of thing. Any history of insulting Islam, automatic out. Other than that, everyone’s good. AFP:
TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s conservative vetting body has banned nearly one in every three potential candidates from standing in March 14 parliamentary elections, the interior ministry said on Thursday.
“Around 5,000 candidates, representing 69 percent of those registered, have been approved,” the press release said.
In the Tehran constituency which sends 30 deputies to the 290-seat parliament (majlis), a little over 1,000 candidates were approved from around 1,400 registered candidates.
Interior ministry committees were tasked with screening 7,168 hopefuls for the polls by gathering information from the police, intelligence ministry, and the judiciary and by making local inquiries.
“Sixty-nine people have withdrawn their candidacies, 131 people were found guilty of corruption and embezzlement, 329 people were disqualified because they had a bad reputation in their neighbourhood,” the ministry said.
In addition, 188 people did not have the qualifications required, and monitoring bodies did not have sufficient proof to be able to “approve the application of 700 other people.”
From the statement’s numbers, it can be calculated that about 700 additional people were disqualified for other reasons.
The interior ministry said an unspecified number of candidates were barred for “narcotics use, ties with the former US backed shah regime, acting against the Islamic Republic, not adhering to the values of Islam and the Islamic system, having links to separatist groups and terrorist and foreign secret services and insulting religious values.”
…
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Reformists’ Coalition, inspired by former President Mohammad Khatami, said that more than 50 percent of the group’s candidates had been rejected.
Another reformist party — National Confidence — said 70 percent of its candidates rejected.
The Reformist Coalition website said most reformist candidates were barred for “non-adherence to Islam and the Islamic Republic system and not being loyal to the Constitution and to the principle of “absolute guardianship of jurisprudence,” and having a bad reputation.”
The “absolute guardianship of jurisprudence” is a key idea of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini which enshrines the clerical leadership of Iran.
No danger of any unsound ideas creeping into that election. It’d be an interesting exercise to adapt those principles and apply them to our own democratic process. Drug use, Obama’s out. Advocating links to terrorists and acting against the United States, Clinton’s gone, along with pretty much the entire Democratic field. Excessive preening, that’d be a definite values hit on Edwards if the Ayatolless Annollah Coulteri had her way. Bad reputation in the hood … jeez, where to start with that one. How come the Ayatollah Georgollah Bushi, when he was busy dismantling the U.S. Constitution, never thought to bring in a Guardians Council, anyway? That would narrow down the GOP field considerably, too. Acting against the United States, Huckster’s history. Values, bye-bye Rudy. Bad reputation in the hood, could be trouble for McCain. Excessive Mormonism … big non-adherence problem.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 11:04 am on Thursday, January 24, 2008
3 Responses to “Democracy Slam”
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January 24th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
This has happened before in Iran, the way the religious council renders Iran’s “democratic institutions” impotent.
In an earlier parliamentary (Majlis) election, over 400 individuals were “pre disqualified” on various (trumped up) grounds.
January 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Something tells me I’m going to have to cancel my plans to run for office in the Islamic Republic.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Well, this is proof that the “Bush = Hitler” meme is crap, else most of the current crop of congresscritters would be in the pokey because they “…were found guilty of corruption…” or “…had a bad reputation in their neighbourhood…” under a similar regime.
Yo, Soros, you listening, dude?