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Hardline MP Says Half Of Parliament Bent On Overthrowing Regime


Iranian MPs burn a US flag in the parliament in Tehran, May 9, 2018, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
Iranian MPs burn a US flag in the parliament in Tehran, May 9, 2018, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

A former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and current MP has accused 50% of his colleagues in Majles (Iranian parliament) of seeking the demise of the Iranian regime.

The senior representative of Mashhad, the second largest city in Iran, Javad Karimi Ghoddousi says fifty percent of the legislators are after the disintegration of the Islamic ruling system by supporting the leaders of the "sedition".

Sedition is a term used by the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his conservative allies to describe the Green Movement of Iran or the widespread 2009 protests against the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that shook the country for almost a year. The leaders of the movement, twice speaker of parliament, Mehdi Karroubi, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard are under house arrest since 2011.

In an unprecedented tweet on December 8, Karimi Ghoddousi insisted that the leaders of the 'sedition' were seeking the downfall of the Islamic Republic, and, “today, 50% of the MPs use the parliament's podium to defend the leaders of the 'sedition'."

The Islamic Republic's current parliament is comprised of 290 members that 121 of them were on the "List of Hope" in 2016 parliamentary elections, supported by former President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) and his pro-reform allies.

Javad Karimi Ghoddusi, Iranian MP from Mashhad, undated.
Javad Karimi Ghoddusi, Iranian MP from Mashhad, undated.

Therefore, it seems that in his highly controversial tweet, Karimi Ghoddousi is also blaming at least 25 other MPs, including independent and right-leaning legislatures, of supporting the "sedition", as well.

Responding to the vitriolic tweet, Tehran's pro-reform MP, Abolfazl Soroush, called upon the Guardian Council on his Twitter account to review Karimi Ghoddousi's credentials and qualifications.

"The claim is against national interest and an affront to the people's intelligence" Soroush noted.

Another Tehran MP, Alireza Rahimi also lambasted his colleague from Mashhad by twitting, "When 50% of the MPs are wrongly accused of seeking the downfall of the [Islamic Republic] system, it means that half of the nation is confronting the ruling establishment."

Meanwhile, many social media users have also bombarded Karimi Ghoddousi with fiery responses, mostly deriding him for his "unfounded" analysis and disclosures in the past.

Some point out that when the foreign minister makes comments on widespread money laundering in Iran, he is immediately called upon to prove his remarks by presenting court-worthy documents, but, individuals such as Karimi Ghoddousi are absolutely free to say whatever they want with impunity.

Accusing the members of the rival camp has become quite common in Iran recently.

In a speech delivered on November 9, the secretary of the influential Expediency Discernment Council and former chief-commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major-general Mohsen Rezaee claimed, "U.S. elements have infiltrated President Hassan Rouhani's ministries", adding that these individuals are “more active against Iran than Trump”.

Rezaee went even further by saying that the American way of thinking is the root of all incapability in the country.

President Rouhani's chief of staff, Mahmoud Va'ezi fired back by advising Rezaee to stop delivering speeches and present documents that prove U.S. elements have indeed infiltrated the government.

Nevertheless, several conservative allies of the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including hardline MP, Hossein Ali Haji Deligani followed Rezaee's footsteps and claimed that the U.S. has infiltrated the Rouhani administration at three levels; directly as spies, acting as agents of influence, as well as individuals enchanted by Washington's propaganda.

Haji Deligani has yet to present evidence backing his claim.

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