Interior Ministry declares IHP election invalid
In a letter addressed to the second and third chairmen of the House of Parties, the Interior Minister had asked them to resolve the problem by February 14 and to hold a new election for the IHP Presiding Board so that the Interior Ministry could allocate facilities to a legitimate body.
However, since the deadline arrived and nothing was done, the Interior Ministry announced that it would not recognize the current IHP Presiding Board and called for the return of all previously allocated facilities.
On Thursday, Interior Minister Mostafa Purmohammadi said that supervising the performance of governmental organizations is one of the duties of the Interior Ministry and added that non-governmental organizations and political groups should also be supported so that they can enjoy their legal rights.
However, IHP Chairman Hossein Musavi Tabrizi responded by saying that Interior Ministry interference in IHP affairs is illegal because the IHP is an NGO.
IHP spokesman Hamid Qazvini said on Thursday that the Interior Ministry’s statement declaring that it does not recognize the current IHP Presiding Board and its call for the return of facilities are illegal because the Interior Ministry is not allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of the IHP or any other political group.
Qazvini noted that the Interior Ministry’s letter to the IHP would be discussed during the IHP’s next general assembly session, which is being held in two months.
Meanwhile, the second chairman of the IHP, Hassan Ghafuri-Fard, said on Thursday, “The IHP is not affiliated to the Interior Ministry, but the ministry has still allocated some facilities to the NGO and it seems quite natural that it should call for the return of the facilities when it is not satisfied with the process of the election of the presiding board. “When the presiding board election is held fairly, the IHP can enjoy the facilities of the Interior Ministry.”