{"id":323436,"date":"2024-08-22T16:19:14","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T15:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=323436"},"modified":"2024-08-22T17:14:42","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T16:14:42","slug":"pezeshkians-admission-exposes-tehrans-fake-democracy-sparks-backlash-within-the-regime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/pezeshkians-admission-exposes-tehrans-fake-democracy-sparks-backlash-within-the-regime\/","title":{"rendered":"Pezeshkian’s Remarks Highlight Tehran’s Authoritarianism, Triggering Regime Backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The <\/span>recent revelations<\/span><\/a> by Masoud Pezeshkian, the newly appointed president of Iran\u2019s regime, have triggered a wave of backlash within the corridors of power in Tehran. In a desperate bid to secure parliamentary approval for his cabinet, Pezeshkian inadvertently pulled back the curtain on the regime\u2019s sham democracy, confirming that every member of his cabinet was pre-approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the regime\u2019s security apparatus. This rare moment of transparency has provoked outrage and criticism from various factions within the regime, further highlighting the deep-seated authoritarianism at the heart of Iran\u2019s clerical dictatorship.<\/span><\/p>\n

During his speech in the parliament on Wednesday, August 21, Pezeshkian made the startling admission that his entire cabinet list had been vetted and approved by Khamenei. \u201cI gave the entire list to the Leader. Everyone came here with coordination and agreement,\u201d he declared, laying bare the fact that the parliament\u2019s role in the approval process was merely performative.<\/span><\/p>\n

This admission did not sit well with many within the regime. Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of<\/span> the <\/span>Kayhan<\/span><\/i> newspaper<\/span><\/a>, was quick to condemn Pezeshkian\u2019s remarks. He called them \u201cunrealistic claims\u201d that had been eagerly seized upon by the regime\u2019s “sworn enemies” to discredit the notion of democracy in Iran. Shariatmadari demanded that Pezeshkian retract his statements, warning that they had provided a “pretext and excuse” for critics to “undermine the republic\u2019s democracy, the parliament\u2019s authority, and even the president\u2019s powers.” He further criticized Pezeshkian for what he described as a \u201cmisinterpretation\u201d or \u201cmisstatement\u201d of the Supreme Leader\u2019s role in the cabinet selection process.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Pezeshkian\u2019s Cabinet Is Testament to #Khamenei<\/a>\u2019s Unquestioned Authority Over #Iran<\/a>\u2019s Governancehttps:\/\/t.co\/vyebHqPZc0<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 22, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n