The Iran way

Iran is one of the few countries where the international community keeps a close eye on the presidential elections, and even before the election results, speculations about the priorities and policies of the new prospective Iranian leadership start in the media.

Ebrahim Raisi, in the recent presidential elections held in Iran, has won a landslide victory. The 60-year-old is known for holding deeply conservative views on many socio-political issues.

The position of the president is the most powerful in Iran's political system after the Supreme Leader. The president, under the constitution of Iran, is responsible for controlling internal matters and foreign policy. However, the Supreme Leader makes the final decisions on various significant issues. Being the highest political and religious authority, he is the head of state and commander-in-chief of all armed forces. All important national institutions such as defence, judiciary and state media, are under the control of the Supreme Leader.

According to the international media, the conservative Raisi was being considered as the most favourite candidate for the Iranian presidency. It was already predicted that he would win this year's elections.

Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei had appointed him as the head of the judiciary two years ago. Even before the election, the media portrayed him as a possible successor to the Supreme Leader. It is worth mentioning that Iranian politics has traditionally been divided between conservatives and reformists.

Raisi also contested in the last election of 2017, but at that time he was unable to defeat the incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, supported by reformists. Rouhani, no doubt, was a ray of hope for Iranians. The nuclear deal between Iran and the United States was an historical achievement during his tenure, which left Iran's people with high expectations for raising their living standards and integrating with the international community.

However, US President Trump's withdrawal from the deal resulted in a negative impact on Iran. Rouhani was criticized for failing to revive Iran's economy, and Iranians were also disappointed that he had failed to deliver on his promises of socio-economic reforms. The currency crisis in Iran has also been a major factor in the unpopularity of the reformist government. The reformist candidates backed by President Rouhani also failed to perform well in last year's parliamentary elections.

In my view, the new Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi has to face many challenges at internal and global levels. He will have to take tough decisions to bring relief to the common citizen in order to improve the country's economy. During the election campaign, he presented himself as the best option to curb corruption, eradicate poverty and solve economic problems. Now he has to come up with a concrete strategy to fulfill his promises. The construction of four million houses in the next four years was also part of his election manifesto. On the diplomatic front, the international community, especially the US, is not comfortable with the presence of conservatives in Iran. The US has already imposed a number of sanctions on Raisi, accusing him of human rights abuses in the past.

Similarly, the Western media fears that hardline elements will gain more influence under the Raisi rule. Different concerns are also being raised about women's rights and freedom of expression, but there are also reports that Raisi is in favor of reviving the nuclear deal with the United States.

While congratulating the newly-elected Iranian president, I would like to highlight that the situation in our region is changing rapidly. Iran and Pakistan would be most affected by the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The new Iranian leadership must try its best to restart the nuclear talks. Cordial cooperation between Pakistan and Iran is essential for ensuring regional peace and stability.

The writer is a member of the NationalAssembly and patron-in-chief of thePakistan Hindu Council.

Twitter: @RVankwani