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Sun, Nov 07, 2010 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Iran's Majles speaker Ali Larijani (R) speaks with Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari during the opening session of Iran's new parliament, in Tehran May 27, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Revolutionary Guards strongly criticized President Ahmadinejad for remarks about the Majles

Revolutionary Guards periodical accuses President Ahmadinejad of misrepresenting remarks made by Islamic revolution founder.

In an unusual move, Payam-e Enghelab, a monthly published on behalf of the Supreme Leader’s representative in the Revolutionary Guards, strongly criticized President Ahmadinejad for his recent remarks about the status of the Majles.

In an interview given by the president to the daily Iran Emrouz this past September, Ahmadinejad claimed that the Majles was no longer at the center of state affairs. The president was referring to a statement made at the time by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic revolution, about the supreme authority of the Majles to manage state affairs. According to Ahmadinejad, Khomeini’s statement was relevant back when the executive branch was headed by a prime minister approved by the Majles rather than a president elected by the people. Accordingly, it is now the executive branch, headed by the president, that is at the center of state affairs, rather than the Majles.

The president’s remarks were made on the backdrop of his power struggles with the Majles, that have considerably escalated in recent months. Among other things, the president accused the Majles of overstepping its authority and passing laws contradictory to the constitution and to Islamic religious law, while Majles members accused the president of illegally interfering with the legislation process. The president’s statement sparked an outrage among Majles members. In response, 170 Majles members sent a strongly-worded letter of protest accusing the president of undermining the status of the legislative branch, demanding that he focus on his own responsibilities.

President Ahmadinejad with Revolutionary Guards commander Jafari

In the latest issue of Payam-e Enghelab, published last week, the official Revolutionary Guards periodical claimed that the president’s remarks were an offense against the current and past leaders of the Islamic republic, and that the misrepresentation of Khomeini’s statement for political interests was a serious mistake. According to the monthly, whose criticism against the president was quoted on several Iranian news websites, the president’s remarks undermine the status of the Majles and do not contribute to the promotion of state affairs. Even if his interpretation of Khomeini’s statement was true, the newspaper said, that would not imply that the government may do as it pleases and ignore the law. Even if it is the government that is at the center of state affairs, it does not give it the right to contradict the law and ignore the demands of Majles members who have the authority to impeach the president.

The monthly even accused the president of misrepresenting Khomeini’s remarks, claiming that the only one who could interpret and analyze the statement made by the founder of the revolution was the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran and the Iranian people have no use for the president’s comments, the monthly argued, further adding that they are detrimental to state affairs since they only contribute to internal power struggles. Rather than dealing with the problems of the people, those in charge are involved in internal power struggles that do not contribute to the promotion of state affairs (Jaras, November 2).