29.06.2005About the results of the presidential elections in Iran
On the 26th of June were announced the preliminary results of the presidential elections in Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). The winner was Mahmoud Ahmaudi Nejad. The results of the elections were a surprise not only for the main candidate for the post of president, 71 years old Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, but also for many of the experts on Iran and Great Middle East.
On the eve of the elections it seemed that the “outsider” of the pre-election race Nejad has no chances to carry an election in the battle with the “heavyweight” Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was surrounded by most of the Iranian progressive intellectuals and the youth. However the winner turned up to be “the social populist” Nejad, whose popular views have won the support of most of the Iran society because they were much understandable for them, than the ones of pragmatic and millionaire Rafsanjani. Nejad was mostly represented by mass media as a non professional politician, but this characterization doesn’t reflect the exact biography of Iran’s new president: he took part in the seizure of the American embassy, served in Iranian secret service during Iran-Iraqi war, held the post of the governor of Ardabil province and the mayor of Iran’s capital Tehran.
What does Iran expect from the newly elected president? To answer this question we mast first of all stress up the fact that the president of Iran is not the head of the country: his role, weight and authorities are limited by many norms and institutions. Most of the power of the country belongs to the spiritual leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khameni and his circle mainly consisting of the representatives of high ranking Shia clergy. So the estimations of the elections by the ranks of “conservative revolution” and “victory of radicals” don’t mirror the real situation in Islamic Republic of Iran. However, at the same time, the president have a direct influence on the approved political decisions as, in fact, he is the second person in the country.
On Sunday Nejad held his first press-conference and spoke about his ideas, which are very like the ones of Rafsanjani.
- Iran will make an effective system to protect rights and freedom of a person and a citizen.
- Iran will go on pressing towards improving its relationships with EC.
- Iran will attract foreign investments.
- The improvement of the relationships with the US won’t be a determinant direction for the Iran’s new leadership.
- IRI will go on elaborating its peaceful nuclear technologies.
As for Hashemi Rafsanjani, he will most likely keep the post of the chairman of the Expediency Council and will as before remain an influential figure in the system of public administration.
Nejad’s radical projects (separate elevators for men and women, prohibition to wear colorful headscarves, est.) will more likely remain as outstanding as the others, which on its time he promised to realize in Tehran (to close cultural centers and organizations and make them places for prayer) if he holds the post of the city’s mayor. At the same time the victory of Nejad marked the complete defeat of so called reformers’ camp in Iran, which began with conservators’ victory in municipal elections in 2003 and parliamentary elections in 2004.
With the victory of Nejad the conservators completed the process of consolidation of the government in their hands, which will have a strong influence both on foreign and internal political situation in Iran.
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