Iran Hard to Find Reiss Deputy

The death of Iran's president, Ebrahim Reis, has caused the Islamic Republic to face great difficulties in finding his replacement immediately. His death has also caused long - term implications for the clerical leadership.

Mohammad Mokhber, who served as Reissian vice president, has already taken over the post of interim president.

His time as president will be short, and authorities have appointed June 22nd as the date for holding new presidential elections.

Mokhber, along with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Judiciary Chairman Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, should organise new elections.

Reis died at home along with nine other people, including Foreign Minister Hosseyin Amir-Abdullahian, when the helicopter on which they were travelling crashed in northwest Iran on May 19th.

Reiss, former head of the Judiciary who was appointed in the 2021 contractary elections, was seen as the successor of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Speaking before the nation on 19 May before Reiss' death was confirmed, Khamenei said that the Iranian “people should not worry, there will be no obstacles to the country's work”.

But the death of the ultraconservate Reis poses a challenge to politicians of the hard line of the Islamic Republic, who strengthened power after the spring parliamentary elections.

Ali Afthir, former US-based student leader who was imprisoned in Iran for his activity, told Radio Frieda Free Europe Radio that “may not be easy to find a leader like Reis, who fully obeyed Khamenei and the” system.

The usually long process for appointing eligible candidates for president, who undergo investigation and approval by the mighty Garda Council, will now be cut short in a deadline of less than two months.

Reiss took advantage of the great disqualification of reformist and moderate candidates when he won the presidential election in 2021.

As a carefully elected candidate who would not pose a threat to Khamene, he won more than 72 percent of the vote in the presidential election, in which the exit was the lowest since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979.

There is a precedent for quick presidential transition to Iran.

The second president of the Islamic Republic, Mohammad-Alia Rajai, served less than two weeks before his murder in 1981. He had been replaced after about a month by Khamenei, who won more than 95 per cent of the vote in which he was supported by all three other candidates.

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme in Chatham House in London, said in an interview he expects accelerated process this time.

The leaders want to show commitment to the Constitution, but also common practice”, Vakil said.

“Equipment of holding quick and responsible elections will be important, at least for the external electoral areas and to show stability”, she stressed.

Vakil listed past presidential candidates, who have already been investigated by the Council of Guard, among the possible descendants of Reis, including Parliament Speaker Qalibach.

Vakil also underlined that Khamene may take advantage of the case for them “retitrate” the former head of the Parliament “marginized”, Ali Larijani, who was forbidden to compete against Reis in 2021, but “has been loyal supporters of the system”

Some observers have suggested this could be an opportunity to repair relations with members of the former moderate president's camp, Hassan Rohan, says Vakil, even though she does not see Rohan as the possible candidate for president.

In 2021, Reis defeated Mohsen Rezaee, a senior officer of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Abdolnaser Hemmati, a banker who was the only moderate candidate in the race.

The “se which one will choose, or allow the system to compete, will really show the priorities and direction of this political leadership”, Vakil said.

On the other hand, if a hardline candidate is chosen from the ranks of the clerical leadership, it would show that the <x0-priorities are unity, conservative consolidation and are sure that the transition... continues to be a priority”.

The election of president this year will also bring changes to the election deadline, as the future president will have a full four-year mandate. This means that presidential elections in the future will be held in the same year as parliamentary elections.

Reiss' death leaves great void in Iran's efforts to elect the future supreme leader as well. The Supreme Leader makes all decisions crucial to Iran's internal and foreign policies.

Iran's clerical leadership, Ashitri stressed, now finds itself “in an unpleasant situation” for finding a suitable successor for 85-year-old Khamenei, who has reportedly suffered from health problems in recent years.

Ashiri says there are few options available now, but that Rajs ex-optors will likely benefit. He mentioned Khamene's son, the prominent clergyman Moitaba Khamenei, as a powerful candidate to replace his father. /rel