Iran’s electoral vetting body known as the Guardian Council disqualified Rouhani on Wednesday.
Rouhani said the council banned him from running while he intended to only fulfill his religious and national duty at a time when people are grappling with many economic woes.
The former president also enumerated some other reasons for his decision to run for the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections including the critical situation in the region and foreign threats, concern over the future of Iran and the rampant hostility toward religion stemming from current “wrong policies.”
Rouhani noted that those who disqualified him and thousands of others from running in the vote for political reasons do not own the revolution and the country nor are they in any position to ban sincere servants of the nation.
By disqualifying him, he noted, the Guardian Council made people disillusioned with the elections.
The former president added that this is at odds with the demand of the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution for all efforts to pave the way for a huge turnout in the vote.
Rouhani went on to say that his disqualification leaves no doubt that what the “ruling minority” wants is a low popular turnout so that they will determine people’s future with their own decisions.
The Gaurdian Council has not yet commented on Rouhani’s statement.
The Assembly of Experts election is going to be held on 1 March 2024, simultaneous with the parliamentary vote.
Under the Iranian Constitution, the Assembly of Experts is tasked with selecting, and in some cases dismissing the leader and supervising his performance.
