عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Rouhani, Larijani Await 'Positive Signs' to Enter Election Race

Former President Hassan Rouhani and his ally, former Speaker Ali Larijani, during an event in Tehran (Jamaran)
Former President Hassan Rouhani and his ally, former Speaker Ali Larijani, during an event in Tehran (Jamaran)
TT
TT

Rouhani, Larijani Await 'Positive Signs' to Enter Election Race

Former President Hassan Rouhani and his ally, former Speaker Ali Larijani, during an event in Tehran (Jamaran)
Former President Hassan Rouhani and his ally, former Speaker Ali Larijani, during an event in Tehran (Jamaran)

Reformist sources have revealed that former President Hassan Rouhani and his ally, former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, are eagerly awaiting "positive indications" from the authorities to actively participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for February.

Larijani and Rouhani, both affiliated with the moderate conservative movement, are looking to reestablish their alliance with the "reformist movement" to return to the forefront of the political scene.

The reformist news website "Insaaf News" reported that prominent figures within the moderate faction will kick off election activities if they perceive positive signs from the authorities.

According to the sources, Rouhani and Larijani are expected to take on prominent roles in the upcoming parliamentary elections. They plan to present a joint electoral list, contingent upon the fulfillment of "honorable and legal" participation conditions.

The sources said the list will be supported by former reformist President Mohammed Khatami, his ally Hasan Khomeini, the grandson of the late Supreme Leader Khomeini, and Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri, close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

They believe that Khatami and Nategh-Nouri can help the two currents and encourage their supporters to participate in the elections "if the right conditions are met."

Ensaf News reported that Hasan Khomeini is "a central figure among the moderates" and can influence political and social events in the country.

However, a close source said that the issues raised about the electoral activities of Rouhani and Larijani are more like "speculations and analysis."

The website indicated that some members of the five figures' teams are skeptical about the recent developments, fearing they would engage in electoral activities without providing the requirements for participation.

However, the Ensaf website expected a "moderate electoral coalition" would be welcomed by the "conservative coalition" that controls the government and most parliamentary seats because their political activities will not stand out without rivals.

Rouhani lived semi-isolation after his presidential term ended, especially since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei did not appoint him to the Expediency Discernment Council, as he did with former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

- Elections

Last April, Rouhani called for holding free elections and a referendum on foreign and domestic policy and economic management.

Larijani's role in the Iranian political arena has been restricted after he was removed from the presidential elections following a decision of the Guardian Council.

Aside from the parliamentary elections, Iran will witness the polls for the Assembly of Experts for Leadership, which includes 88 influential clerics who name the successor to the current Supreme Leader if he cannot carry out his duties.

The Assembly of Experts elections are also important and sensitive. The past elections sparked controversy after Hassan Khomeini was removed from the list of candidates for not meeting the conditions.

Rouhani, Hassan Khomeini, and Nategh-Nouri could be on the list of candidates, knowing that Khomeini's grandson is one of the primary candidates to succeed Khamenei.

The upcoming legislative elections come after the widespread popular protests that the authorities accused the Western powers of "supporting" in the wake of the death of the young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, last September.

- Confirmation of participation

Khamenei rejected requests for a referendum on the fate of the origin of the ruling establishment to overcome the current structure and establish a secular system of elections, and decide on the eligibility of candidates.

In one of his speeches last April, the Supreme Leader urged senior officials to define strategies for participation, competition, security, and integrity in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The Guardian Council then announced that it had started setting up procedures for the upcoming February elections.

Recently, the Minister of the Interior, Ahmed Vahidi, issued instructions to the governors of the provinces to reduce communication and cooperation with lawmakers.

Vahidi's decision sparked controversy, and more than 200 lawmakers tabled a motion to impeach him. But Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that the Minister requested a two-week postponement.

President Ebrahim Raisi said that the government, as the executive of the elections, will not interfere in the affairs of the candidates and in supporting or creating restrictions for them.

The Iranian presidency website quoted Raisi saying at the Sunday cabinet meeting that holding healthy, competitive, and high-participation elections promotes national security and public trust.

- Reform movement

The reformist parties affiliated with the "Reform Front" nominated the activist Azar Mansouri as its head, according to the Etemad Online website.

Mansouri, 59, who has close ties to former President Mohammad Khatami, will succeed the reform activist Behzad Nabavi, who held the post for two years.

Mansouri was among the reformist activists arrested after the Green Movement protests that hit the country after the reformists questioned the 2009 presidential elections after Ahmadinejad won a second term.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

UN Report: 40% of War-Related Deaths are Women, and 30% are Children

The majority of recorded deaths, 70%, occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the deadliest conflict for civilians in 2023 (Reuters)
The majority of recorded deaths, 70%, occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the deadliest conflict for civilians in 2023 (Reuters)
TT
TT

UN Report: 40% of War-Related Deaths are Women, and 30% are Children

The majority of recorded deaths, 70%, occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the deadliest conflict for civilians in 2023 (Reuters)
The majority of recorded deaths, 70%, occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the deadliest conflict for civilians in 2023 (Reuters)

While the proportion of women killed in armed conflicts doubled last year compared to 2022, the situation will not be any better in 2024, according to the annual report by the Office of UN Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in war contexts.
The report, released a few days ago, paints a very bleak picture of what women have suffered in armed conflicts in 2023.
It said 40% of civilians killed in armed conflict in 2023 were women, twice as many as in 2022. The number of children who lost their lives (30%) also tripled.
The report also highlights an exponential increase in civilian casualties, with at least 33,443 non-combatants killed in 2023, a 73% rise from the previous year.
Gaza City...70% of Recorded Deaths
The majority of recorded deaths, 70%, occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the deadliest conflict for civilians in 2023, the report said.
Policy Specialist on Peace and Security at UN Women, Pablo Castillo said the increase in the proportion of women who died in armed conflict occurred “in all wars.”
“The reason [for this trend] is the growing disregard for international law and humanitarian standards amid a backdrop of both cold and hot wars between superpowers, along with a general geopolitical climate that challenges multilateralism,” said Castillo. “Additionally, there is a discernible trend of attacking anything that can be identified as feminism.”
UN Women contributed to reports on women, peace, and security and which highlighted the alarming figures regarding female mortality in conflict zones.
“The world is caught in a frightening spiral of conflict, instability and violence. In 2023, more than 170 armed conflicts were recorded, and approximately 612 million women and girls lived within 50 km of these conflicts, 150% more than just a decade ago,” stated the UN report on women, peace and security.
Another “alarming” finding revealed by the study is the 50% increase in cases of sexual assault in conflict zones, along with a 35% rise in serious rape cases involving girls in these countries.
This is emphasized by Cristina Sanchez, a law professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and an expert on the intersection of war and gender.
“These are not random acts; sexual violence is a targeted and effective weapon of war. It not only serves to displace populations from their homes but also functions as a bargaining chip, with women being sold among terrorist groups as a means of financing,” she said.
The UN describes this situation as “a war on women,” noting that they are affected in numerous ways beyond death and rape.
For instance, access to healthcare is becoming increasingly restricted.
Every day, 500 women and girls in conflict-affected countries die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
“An estimated 52,000 pregnant women have been caught in the war, with an estimated 180 deliveries every day, most of them without access to anesthetics for cesarean sections and without water, sanitation, nutrition or postpartum care,” stated the UN report.
“A pregnant patient from a rural area had to wait two days to get the money she needed to receive care,” said Maria Fix, head of the Doctors Without Borders team in South Darfur, Sudan.
“When she finally reached a health center, they had no medicines, so she returned home. After three days, her condition worsened, but she again had to wait five hours to be transferred. She was in a coma when she reached us. She died of a preventable infection,” she added.
Absence of International Awareness
For the first time, the report mentioned a direct criticism to the so-called “basic public awareness about these injustices.”
The report also criticized the lack of media coverage: although reports on wars increased sixfold between 2013 and 2023, only 5% focused on women’s experiences.
“In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war has been denounced for decades. And nothing happens. This also sends a message of impunity,” said Sanchez.
In that country, the UN reported over 123,000 cases of gender violence in 2023, a 300% increase over three years, which has not been accompanied by a rise in convictions.
The neglect is also evident in the reduced funding for organizations focused on gender equality and specific programs aimed at mitigating the impact of war on women, the report showed.
Women are frequently excluded from peace negotiations, “despite the fact that it is known that increased female participation leads to more robust and lasting agreements,” said Castillo.
Instead of progress, attacks against women’s rights activists have intensified. “Anti-gender and anti-feminist movements are well-organized and have at their disposal considerable financial resources,” said the report.
In several countries, including Iraq, Libya, and Yemen, local or national authorities have even banned the term “gender” and restricted or persecuted activities advocating for equality.
In Afghanistan, “the oppression of Afghan women is severe,” the report said.
Girls over the age of 12 have been denied the right to education for three years, among various other restrictions that have led the UN to classify the situation as gender apartheid.