Presidential election in Iran: the economic question at the heart of the first televised debate
The conservative Ebrahim Raissi posed as a defender of the underprivileged sections of the population.
Here in a Tehran grocery store, June 5, 2021. AFP - STR
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In Iran, the first televised debate between the seven presidential candidates of June 18 was the subject of virulent attacks between the five conservatives and the two moderates.
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With our correspondent in Tehran,
Siavosh Ghazi
On the one hand, the five conservative candidates. On the other, two moderates. All of them painted a particularly dark picture of the country's economic situation. From the start, the moderate Abdolnasser Hemati, ex-president of the Central Bank, directed his attacks against Ebrahim Raissi, the conservative head of the judiciary and big favorite in the poll, asking voters not to turn away from the polls.
“A
lot of you don't have any candidates and you are rightly protesting,
” he said.
You want to show your anger by turning away from the ballot box, but what is more effective is to change the political game.
According to a latest poll, only 34% of voters say they are certain to vote, the lowest rate in the history of the Islamic Republic.
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See also: Presidential election in Iran: the Supreme Guide asks to ignore calls for boycott
Abdolnasser Hemati warned, however: the economic situation will not quickly improve the situation of the weak and middle categories of the population, hit hard by inflation that exceeds 50%.
Refusing to enter this game of attacks, Ebrahim Raissi has meanwhile posed as a defender of the underprivileged. “
Different strata of society cry out in their anger at incompetence, injustice, poverty, discrimination and corruption. What is lacking in the country is management. I can mobilize economists and I will,
he promised.
People want a strong and powerful manager to make things better. Why do you want to prevent this?
"
This first debate took place when the campaign is particularly lackluster because of the economic situation and the coronavirus pandemic.
With less than two weeks before the ballot, the main moderate candidate will be able to mobilize the disappointed voters of President Rouhani.
Otherwise, it should benefit the conservatives who already control the other bodies of power.
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