Private Sector’s Little Leeway 

Commerce chambers have witnessed the government’s occasional interferences in the process of electing the representatives of the private sector. With the passage of time, the private sector’s elections have become less democratic. There is evidence that the government’s interference in the upcoming round of elections [for members of commerce chambers] has been unusual, if not unprecedented. 
These were stated by Mohsen Jalalpour, former president of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, in a write-up for the Persian economic daily Donya-e-Eqtesad. A translation of the text follows:
If you look at the series of decisions made by the Supreme Council of Supervision of Chambers of Commerce over the past few months, you can see an exclusive and restrictive faction that can overshadow the election of competent representatives for chambers of commerce. These developments, whatever their intention and mission, have alarming consequences for both the economy and the longest-standing and largest organization of the private sector, i.e., ICCIMA.