Iran: Election Watchdog Seems To Address Vote Cancellation

The head of Iran’s Guardian Council says the council’s responsibility to oversee elections is “general and at every stage” and has been so in the past.

The Fars News Agency reports that Ahmad Jannati told a meeting of Islamic Propagation officials on Wednesday May 11: “The Guardian Council’s supervision is general and at every stage, and it has happened in the past that a candidate’s degree was found to be false and their votes were voided.”

Jannati’s statements come after the council voided Minoo Khaleghi’s votes in Isfahan, stirring widespread controversy among Iranian officials. Khaleghi came third in the Isfahan election but her votes were voided.

While the council has given no official reason for its action, some unofficial statements indicate that she has allegedly not complied with Islamic principles during her trips abroad.

Khaleghi, however, has challenged that explanation and is appealing the council’s decision.