Hossein Marashi, spokesman for the Agents of Construction Party, said today: “there is no ground for cooperation between Ali Larijani and the Reformists”. Marashi added that even if the Principalist Unity Council does not include Larijani among their list of candidates, Larijani and the Reformists are unlikely to work together since they do not have a history of cooperating, unlike Rouhani and the Reformists.
Member of Parliament Hossein Marashi said on Sunday that while a high turnout at the election might be desirable for the government, it might also become a double-edged sword. Pointing to the high degree of factionalism in Iranian politics, Marashi argued that a high turnout would be motivated by emotional participation which could lead to deeper divisions among the electorate after the result is announced. Marashi’s comments in some ways allude to the 2009 election, where a high turnout was followed by protests and violence.
Hossein Marashi, the head of the Reformist Executives of Construction Party, told IRNA that Ali Larijani would not be a suitable candidate for the Reformists as “we do not have a right wing”. Marashi was speaking in the context of speculation that the Reformists would back a popular non-Reformist candidate like Larijani or Mohammad-Javad Zarif. Marashi added that the Reformists will wait until the Guardian Council announces the approved candidates before backing a candidate.