Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani who was addressing a meeting of Judiciary high-ranking officials on Monday, recommended the Guardian Council to remain loyal to the very text of the Constitution in examining the qualifications of candidates; “not all candidates registering in the election would be eligible to being elected by the nation as president,” he told the meeting. “Morality and ethics should be a guiding principle in campaign trail, as we saw the moral collapse during US presidential debates; the Islamic Republic would not tolerate such behavior and to meet this challenge, candidates and their fans should remain true to rules of the election campaign, in avoiding defamation of others,” he emphasized.
Amoli Larijani also averred that individuals who speculate that they would fail to meet the eligibility requirements asserted in the Constitution should not register in the first place; “Article 115 of the Constitution asserts that presidential candidate should be a political figure and religious as well; being religious would not suffice to fulfil the conditions, and some qualities beyond the literal observance of the religious codes,” he demanded.
Head of the Judiciary warned against any laxity on enforcing constitutional requirements as unpardonable. “No quality of candidates would be claimed to be inherent in the character and should be strictly examined to assure the existence of such qualities,” Ayatollah Amoli Larijani emphasized, “base instincts and emotions should not intervene in coming to a decision about particular candidates; nor should popularity with the specific circles and the common sense be a factor in reaching to a verdict.”
He also emphasized on the candidates’ belief of the country’s official state religion as a major requirement along with a general commitment to the Revolutionary ideals of the Establishment; “the Guardian Council should have no qualms in applying such strict criteria for anyone in acting according to the very text of the Constitution despite the undeserving criticism the Council had received from the enemies as well as their domestic proxies and sympathizers in the aftermath of the 2009 presidential elections,” he concluded.
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