Majlis approves handicrafts are VAT-exempt

TEHRAN – The Iranian parliament (Majlis) on Tuesday approved a bill to exempt craftspeople and handicraft producers from paying value-added tax (VAT).

Parliamentary candidates’ vetting not final: Jannati

TEHRAN — Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of the Guardian Council, said on Wednesday that the vetting of parliamentary candidates are not final and they can file complaints.

Guardian Council releases list of candidates eligible to run for parliament

TEHRAN – The Guardian Council released on Sunday the list of candidates who are considered competent to run for parliamentary elections.

Jannati: Guardian Council carefully studying parliamentary candidates’ records

TEHRAN — The Guardian Council is investigating the qualifications of the parliamentary candidates as well as their complaints with due care, the Guardian Council chief said on Wednesday. 

Time for filing election disqualification complaints ends Sunday

TEHRAN — Sunday marked the last day disqualified parliamentary candidates could object to their ineligibility.

Interior Ministry approves competency of over %90 of Majlis candidates 

TEHRAN - The election boards affiliated to the Interior Ministry have approved the competency of 91 percent of the candidates registering to run for the February parliamentary election, government spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters on Wednesday. 

Guardian council: Reviewing, amending constitution possible if Article 59 fails to solve problems 

TEHRAN - The spokesman for the Guardian Council said on Sunday that reviewing and amending the constitution is possible provided that the constitution itself, including its Article 59, could not help the country get rid of a probable problem.

The Guardian Council is soft when vetting candidates, general says

TEHRAN – Former Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has criticized the Guardian Council for treating parliamentary hopefuls with leniency when vetting them for elections. 

2345 candidates registered for parliamentary polls by Tuesday

TEHRAN – By working hours on Tuesday, 2345 people registered to run in the upcoming parliamentary polls.

Guardian Council: Adherence to constitution only way out of deadlocks

TEHRAN - Adherence to the constitution is the only way to break deadlocks, the Guardian Council said in a statement on Tuesday.

Guardian Council: People entitled to oppose executive decisions

TEHRAN – The spokesman for the Guardian Council of the Constitution said that opposing executive decisions is an inevitable right of the people, but stressed that public properties should not be damaged in the protests. 

Guardian Council says it has done its job regarding Palermo bill

TEHRAN – The Guardian Council has done its job with regard to the Palermo bill, Abbasali Kadkhodaei, the spokesman for the council, said on Wednesday. 

Guardian council: U.S. not entitled to defend human rights 

TEHRAN – The spokesman for the Guardian Council said on Monday that the U.S. does not enjoy enough legality to present itself as a defender of human rights and democracy. 

Guardian Council says won’t be affected by pressure

TEHRAN – The Guardian Council will not be influenced by pressures when vetting candidates for the 2020 parliamentary elections, its spokesman said on Saturday.

Rouhani says journalists should criticize without fear

Iranian officials mark National Journalist Day

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani as well as other senior officials underlined the importance of press freedom in remarks ahead of National Journalist Day.

Iran one step closer to create ministry of tourism

TEHRAN – Iran has moved a step closer to form a ministry of cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism, as its Guardian Council, which is empowered to vet legislation in the Islamic Republic, gave its approval on Monday.

Kadkhodaei re-elected as the council’s spokesman

Jannati retains post as Guardian Council chief

TEHRAN – Members of the Guardian Council on Wednesday re-elected Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati as the council’s secretary, Mehr reported.

Majlis okays three jurists for Guardian Council

TEHRAN – Iranian lawmakers on Tuesday voted for Mohammad Dehqan, Mohammad-Hassan Sadeqi-Moqadam and Hadi Tahan-Nazif as three jurists for the oversight Guardian Council.

Guardian Council not influenced by political rivalries: Jannati

TEHRAN – The Guardian Council’s senior clerics and jurists do not consider political and factional rivalries when doing their duties, the council’s secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said on Wednesday.

Guardian Council says ready to hold electronic elections

TEHRAN – The Guardian Council is prepared to hold electronic elections, its spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodaei said on Saturday.

Guardian Council ratifies bill on soil conservation

TEHRAN – The Guardian Council ratified the bill on soil conservation which has been passed by the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) earlier in February, Masoumeh Hosseinpour, director general of department for parliamentary and legal affairs at the Department of Environment (DOE) has announced.

Guardian Council reacts negatively to provincialize elections

TEHRAN - The spokesman of the Guardian Council on Saturday reacted negatively to the prospects of provincializing elections, saying the council deems there would be downsides to doing so.

Guardian Council neutral on provincial parliamentary polls

TEHRAN - The Guardian Council neither supports nor opposes parliamentary elections at provincial level, its spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodaei has said.

Guardian Council ratifies bill in support of IRGC

TEHRAN – The Guardian Council on Wednesday ratified the double-urgency bill to bolster the status of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the face of U.S. moves, IRNA reported.

Expediency Council backs Guardian Council on budget bill

TEHRAN – The Expediency Council on Saturday voted in favor of the Guardian Council’s objection to a parliamentary decision on the budget bill for the next Iranian year (March 2019-March 2020), a member of the Expediency Council said.

Iranian parliament votes to ban serving as MP for more than three terms in a row

TEHRAN - Iran’s parliament approved on Sunday a bill according to which MPs will not be allowed to run for parliament after three terms in a row.

‘U.S. will impose more sanctions if Iran joins Palermo Convention’

Demonstrators hold sit-in to protest Iran’s moves to join CFT

TEHRAN – A number of demonstrators held a sit-in at a mosque in Tehran on Thursday to protest efforts by Iran to join the CFT and the Palermo Convention, saying it will expose Iran to more sanctions by the United States.

Lawmakers amend soil protection bill

TEHRAN – In order to gain the approval of the Guardian Council, the parliamentarians on Sunday gave their seal of approval to amend an article of a bill against soil smuggling.

Anti-money laundering bill of amendment past Expediency Council

TEHRAN - The Expediency Council on Saturday endorsed a bill of amendment to the anti-money laundering law, a council member announced.

Majlis opposes bill on increasing marriage age  

TEHRAN — Majlis [Iranian parliament] has voted against a bill on increasing marriage age, the minimum age at which a person is allowed by law to marry, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.