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280 Candidates Join Eligibility List
TEHRAN, Feb. 12--Guardians Council spokesman, Abbasali Kadkhodaei, said the constitutional watchdog has approved the competency of 280 more candidates for the upcoming Majlis elections.
Talking to IRNA on Tuesday, Kadkhodaei said the figure includes those who were disqualified by the executive boards.
The spokesman noted that the council has announced the result to the Interior Ministry, adding that the council will release another list by February 22.
The Guardians Council is in charge of verifying the competency of hopefuls for all elections in Iran.
Over 7,000 hopefuls had registered for the upcoming Majlis elections, of whom 6,549 are male.
Earlier, Kadkhodaei said 2,400 hopefuls have been disqualified on the basis of articles 28, 29 and 30 of the Elections Law.
The next Majlis elections and midterm elections for the Experts Assembly in the constituencies of Tehran, Qazvin, Ilam and East Azarbaijan provinces will be held concurrently on March 14. All those having completed 18 years of age and above are eligible to vote in the elections for the 290-seat parliament.
Belief in and commitment to Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran, allegiance to Iran’s Constitution and Velayat-e Faqih, having good physical health, holding at least a master’s degree or its equivalent, lack of criminal record and aged between 30 and 75 are the terms for eligibility of nominees.
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Striving for
Regional Security
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State Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in Tehran on Tuesday addressed the International Conference on Building a Confident Future for Southwest Asia.
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TEHRAN, Feb. 12--State Expediency Council said some western agents in the region are undermining regional security.
Addressing the International Conference on Building a Confident Future for Southwest Asia on Tuesday, SEC Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani added that throughout its political and cultural history, Iran has endeavored to help establish regional security as opposed to the security provided by the West, Presstv reported.
“Certain reports indicate that some agents have cast their greedy eyes on the region and are seeking to create a few small (new) states here,“ he said.
The senior Iranian official noted that regional countries, because of their vulnerability, should remain vigilant, adding that Iran has always prioritized regional cooperation and friendly competitiveness, and encourages environmental protection.
Rafsanjani also called on regional scholars and thinkers to guide the large Southwest Asian family toward constructive interaction and competition.
The conference opened in Tehran on Tuesday with participants from Iran and Southwest Asian nations.
Southwest Asia comprises 25 countries, namely Iran, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Yemen, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Tajikistan, Jordan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Armenia, Palestine, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Bahrain and Egypt.
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Mottaki to Visit Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria, Feb. 12--Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is expected to visit Syria on Wednesday, an Iranian official said on Tuesday.
Iran’s consul in Damascus, Mir Masoud Hosseinian, also told IRNA that during the two-day visit, Mottaki will meet President Bashar Al-Assad, Vice President Farouk Al-Shara and his counterpart Walid Muallem.
“The two sides will discuss bilateral ties and international issues, including the situation in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine,“ he said.
Iran and Syria have strategic ties in the Middle East and their officials regularly exchange views on key regional issues.
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No Delay in ElBaradei Report
TEHRAN, Feb. 12--The IAEA will submit its long-awaited report on Iran’s nuclear program to its Board of Governors on March 3, agency sources said.
On Monday, some diplomats maintained that the UN report on Iran’s nuclear activities could be delayed due to disagreements between IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei and his technical staff.
However, IAEA sources told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that ElBaradei would submit his report to the board as scheduled, Presstv quoted.
During his visit to the Iranian capital last month, the IAEA chief hailed Iran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and reached an agreement with Iranian officials to settle all outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program by mid-February.
This is while the world’s major powers are mulling a third round of sanctions against Iran to pressure the country into abandoning its nuclear rights.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, warned on Monday that Iran will not retreat one iota over its nuclear program and strongly defend its inalienable right.
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Participation
RESALAT: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei reiterated the importance of 22 Bahman rallies to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. In a meeting with the servicemen of Iranian Army’s Air Force, the leader said that during the popular Ten-Day Dawn celebrations, the Iranian nation once again pledges its allegiance to the values and mission of the Islamic Revolution. They demonstrate this later by participating in public gatherings and nationwide elections.
Before and After
KAYHAN: Efforts aimed at finding the extent of Islamic Revolution’s success will soon bear fruit. Finding out the differences between the Iranian situation before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution is easy. In fact, the differences are so great that even Iran’s staunchest enemies acknowledge it. While the former shah’s regime enjoyed the support of big world powers, especially the US, Iranian scientists and researchers have made a great deal of progress in different fields, despite many shortcomings resulting from the sanctions imposed by foreign powers. Iran’s strategic achievements after the Islamic Revolution have been much greater compared to Iran’s entire history. A clear message by the revolutionary Iran to the West after 1979 is that Iranians will never be satisfied with the ceiling of progress set by the western powers.
Self-Sufficiency
ABRAR: What would have been the prevailing condition in Iran if the 1979 Islamic Revolution had not succeeded? Although it is difficult to answer this question, one can make a guess that will be closer to the reality. Many parameters should be considered before trying to answer this question, particularly political, economic, cultural and social parameters. The Holy Qur’an considers cultural and social parameters more important than others. The holy book informs us that if people remain committed to their faith and maintain their cultural identity, that would be more important than other parameters. One thing is quite evident: if the Islamic Revolution had not succeeded in 1979, Iranians would have still remained dependent on foreign powers.
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