Harsh diatribes and ruthless rhetoric are heralding raucous Iranian parliamentary elections, scheduled for Feb. 21. The preelection front line opened with a clash between President Hassan Rouhani — a moderate and Reformist — and hard-line cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who chairs the powerful Guardian Council, which has the final say in most of Iran's electoral processes.

The 12-member council is made up of six clerics appointed by the supreme leader and six lawyers proposed by the judiciary chief and approved by the Iranian parliament. Traditionally dominated by conservative figures, the council has faced longstanding criticism over its perceived double standards and its interference in election results. More specifically, the council's vetting process for electoral candidates is seen as undemocratic, as the council exercises a free hand in disqualifying candidates. In past elections, serious concerns have been raised that the practice limits the number of candidates to a restricted few favored by the hard-line camp.

The contentious issue resurfaced when, in a speech Nov. 12, Rouhani said, "Let's give people some power of choice. Allow them to at least decide the color of the commodity on their own." This was an implicit message to the council, and it was well received by the chairman.

Jannati's harsh response slammed Rouhani over "uproar and controversy" ahead of parliamentary elections. "Such tactics," he added, "are aimed at distracting people from the key problems." The influential cleric did not elaborate on those "problems," but critics from his camp have come down on the Rouhani administration over its poor economic performance, among other perceived inadequacies.