Mullahs’ candidates buy Parl’t seats with bribes, drugs

Nora Bendary

As the Iranian Parliamentary election approaches, candidates of the Mullahs’ regime seek to claim the most votes to constitute majority within the incoming parliament formation, especially amid rivarly between reformists and fundamentalists.

The former head of Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters (DCH), Ali Hashemi, has confirmed that “dirty money” has had a role in deciding the country’s parliamentary elections.

“A part of the dirty money collected in the narcotics market and drug smuggling resurfaces on the political stage, through financial support to candidates, and for urging members of parliament to endorse some particular bills and motions,” Minister of Interior, Abdol-Reza Rahmani Fazli had divulged.

Speaking to the state-run Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA), on Saturday, the head of Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters (DCH) in the government of former President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) insisted that under a barrage of criticism from lawmakers, Rahmani Fazli had been forced to take back his comments.

“Investigating the wealth of a detained international drug smuggler verified the fact that some of his dirty money was directed toward several members of Majles (Iranian parliament),” Ali Hashemi disclosed, without further elaboration.

The narcotics Mafia, Hashemi asserted, can easily win a parliamentary seat for a candidate in some of the smaller cities by spending $300,000.

Earlier, in September 2019, the Guardian Council’s (GC) spokesman, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, also admitted that “dirty money” had played a crucial role in elections in many constituencies across Iran.

“Better laws are required to address the problem of dirty money in deciding elections,” Kadkhodaei insisted.

Moreover, Iran’s constitutional watchdog has barred thousands of people from running in next month’s parliamentary elections, including 90 current lawmakers, most of whom are accused of corruption.

The Guardian Council, a body of senior clerics and legal experts, vets candidates for office as well as legislation, and rules out individuals if it believes their views or behavior are incompatible with the theocratic system. Half its members are appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In this regard, Iranian affairs expert Ahmed Qibal has told The Reference in an interview that both the fundamentalist and reformist streams are competing over majority at the incoming election, pointing out that in the end, only candidates loyal to the regime will be allowed to run.