The Guardian Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran has made a far-reaching decision: it allows only seven candidates for the presidential election on June 18, and it has chosen them in such a way that there seems to be no way around the election of the hardliner and head of justice Raisi.
They have denied qualification for the office to those who could have been dangerous to him, such as the former parliamentary speaker and centrist Larijani.
Of the 592 candidates, 585 remained.
So much for the democratic facade of the Islamic Republic.
The room for maneuver in foreign policy is becoming narrow
The twelve members of the Guardian Council, who have to watch over the ideological “purity” of the Islamic Republic and who are united by a reactionary attitude, play with fire.
In terms of foreign policy, Iran with Raisi as president would deprive itself of the room for maneuver it has gained under the moderate President Rouhani.
Who wanted to speak to a president with so much blood on his hands?
How would the world react if Raisi is no longer interested in a nuclear deal?
Raisi's “election” would also come at a high price domestically.
Under him, even such modest reforms as under Presidents Khatami and Rohani would be unthinkable.
However, a majority of Iranians want a different republic.
The men in the Guardian Council don't seem to care that they are also undermining the legitimacy of their republic.