Reformists' electoral breakthrough stokes hope for change in Iran

TEHRAN - Supporters of moderate and reformist candidates in the Iranian elections say that their breakthrough is a vote of confidence for President Hassan Rouhani that could bring a hoped-for new direction for the country.

Results released earlier this week showed Rouhani’s allies, who staked his leadership credentials on popular support for last year’s nuclear deal, making gains against hardliners and conservatives in both parliament and the influential Assembly of Experts.

In Tehran, reformists and moderates celebrated a sweep of all 30 parliamentary seats, earning voters in the capital rebukes from hardliners who denounced them as “anti-revolutionaries”.

The successes came despite complaints before the election that the conservative-dominated Guardian Council, which approved the final lists of candidates for both the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts, had barred leading moderates and reformists from running.

“The reformists won the game with the minimum advertisements and power,” Farin Faridi, a student at the Islamic Azad University, told Middle East Eye.

“Generally whenever the reformists come to power we see progress in economic and cultural fields. For example, cinema and the music industry and our foreign relations have been much better under the reformists than under the conservatives.”

Supporters of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a key ally of Rouhani, said they welcomed his re-election to the Assembly of Experts which came after another leading reformist hopeful Seyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, had been struck off the list of candidates by the Guardian Council.

“The election results were great,” Reza Mardominejad, a mathematics teacher, told MEE. “Rafsanjani’s patience after the disqualification of Seyyed Hassan Khomeini by the Guardian Council yielded positive results.”

Reza Tarokh, a mobile phone salesman, told MEE: “I was really upset that Hassan Khomeini wasn’t allowed to run. That’s why I wrote his name on the voting page.”

Sara Abedini, who described herself as a cultural activist, told MEE: “Some may think that their votes don’t count, but after this election, and witnessing the results, I feel that I have my own share in my country and we can make changes, if we decide to do so.”

Jasem Ahmari, an employee for a car manufacturer, said: “Democracy takes time to be implemented completely, and it should be done step by step. For instance, a black man is currently the US president and maybe a woman will be the next one.

“Political development is the requirement of our society. The reformists’ key to victory was being united, and the conservatives’ mistake was to underestimate people, and not having a complete understanding of the society.”

Some said they had voted for reformist candidates just to voice their opposition to the way they country had been governed in the past decade.

“I voted for the reformists even though I didn’t know most of the candidates,” said Samane Ghasemzade, a student at AmirKabir University.

“For 10 years the conservatives governed the country and nothing happened. That is why I voted for reformists just to prevent them from grabbing power.”

'Cultural problems'

But others expressed concern that a reformist-led government would lead the country away from the conservative values of Iran’s Islamic revolution.

Abbas Abolfazlian, a teacher, told MEE he was a staunch opponent of Rouhani’s policies.

“I voted for Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati and the conservatives, because I’m really upset with the current situation of the society. Women don’t cover their hair appropriately, and their outfits are tight,” he said.

“The candidates I voted for care about the cultural problems of the country, and will try to solve this issue.”

Ayatollah Jananti is the head of Guardian Council and was ranked 16th out of 88 in the Assembly of Experts’ election.

Some hardliners also criticised voters in the capital, with Tehranis compared by some to people from Kufa, a reference to the Iraqi town which turned its backs on revered Imam Hussein ibn Ali and allowed him to face death at the battle of Karbala, according to Shia history.

“Tehran is the main base of anti-revolutionaries, and the reformists’ victory is a proof of that,” Jafar Shajuni, a well-known hardliner, told a local news website.

But Hadi Mehrkesh, an application designer, said: “It is not important the winners are conservative or reformists, the significant point is they are all loyal to the Islamic Republic.”

Others said they had not bothered to vote because they did not think that much would change, regardless of who led the government.

“I didn’t vote, because I participated in the previous elections, and nothing happened. The reformists and conservatives’ tickets aren’t different. Neither does anything for people, and our votes aren’t effective,” said Mohsen Aslani, a taxi driver.

With the Guardian Council still to officially confirm the results of the election, reformist supporters called on Rouhani’s opponents to accept his victory, regardless of differences of opinion.

“I think people chose reformists, because they are fully satisfied with President Rouhani’s achievements. In fact, they chose to give more time and opportunities to the moderates and reformists," said Parisa Kheradmand, studying Middle Eastern studies at University of Tehran.

“In my view, Rouhani’s opponents should put aside their old views and have a look at his domestic and foreign policies.”