TEHRAN – Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani said a competitive situation can pave the ground for a high turnout in the February 21 parliamentary elections.  

The president went on to say that the people are entitled to make sure about fair competition, transparency in the elections. 

The remarks by the president comes as the Guardian Council has said 90 sitting MPs are ineligible to run for parliament. However, the council has given them the chance to file their complaints for further study.

Rouhani said it is not possible that a single faction run the country.

Presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi claimed on Wednesday that support for the JCPOA has been one of the reasons for disqualifying parliament hopefuls. 
 
Ayatollah Jannati, the Guardian Council chief, said on Wednesday that his council does not favor one faction over another.

“The Guardian Council neither benefits nor agonizes from approving or rejecting the competence of anybody, and factions are not different for it,” Jannati said, adding the council “only sticks to law”. 

Jannati also criticized Rouhani for expressing dismay over the rejection of some candidates, saying, “The president should not make statements that would worry the public opinion or disappoint people or misused by enemies.”

The Iranian parliament has 290 members who are elected by the people for four-year terms.  

In his Wednesday remarks, Rouhani also highlighted the importance of people and law, saying no one is above law and people.

“Everybody must know that there is no holy institution higher than the people and higher than the law,” Rouhani pointed out.