Saeed Jalili and Kamran Bagheri Lankarani two principalist presidential candidate met this afternoon in Jalili’s office.

After the meeting, Lankarani, who is backed by Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, issued a statement calling for unity between principalist candidates.

After Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili registered for the upcoming Iran’s presidential election, Lankarani said in an interview that there is no difference between their stance and only one of them will stay in the presidential race.

Political analysts believe that the principlist candidates will show more unity to boost their chance of winning the race.

Afkar, a news website close to Alireza Zakani, a pricipalist presidential hopeful also reported that he likely will withdraw in favor of Jalili tomorrow.

Ali-Akbar Velayati and Gholam-Ali Hadad Adel, two presidential hopeful and members of Coalition of 2+1 Iran’s presidential hopeful also said after Jalili’s registration that it is likely for the principlist candidates to unite around the country’s chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, in the upcoming presidential election.

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September 2010, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the first steps of a subsidy targeting plan through the state TV, he never have guessed that in less than 2 years, he would be inundated with censure.

Critics accuse him of not carrying out the reforms in the right way. They claim that he was oblivious to the laws passed by the Majlis and instead has put his own ideas into action. His actions resulted in high inflation, weakening of domestic producers and destabilizing the market.

Subsidy targeting is part of a five step, “Subsidy Reform Plan” in Iran.  According to the 2010 act of the Majlis, the government could gain revenue of billions of Rials by canceling subsidies for energy carriers and essential goods. According to the Majlis’ laws the government should have given 50% of the revenue to the people. 30% should have been given to the producers and the rest would have been for the government expenses. Most of the critics are targeting this issue. Critics are mostly supporters of the program, but they say the government gave the producers’ share to the people to raise the given cash subsidy.

Products have subsequently become more expensive, because of the increased cost of transportation. Those who couldn’t afford it laid off workers and canceled productions.

The Government has been blamed for being the main reason for inflation, unemployment and impairing the domestic producers. Accordingly the next phase of the subsidies which was supposed to come into action this year is still pending.

This has caused a debate among the upcoming Presidential candidates on how they are going to improve living conditions and finish the job of implementing subsidies:

Mohsen Rezaee, the Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council and a candidate commented on this matter: I’m totally in favor of subsidy reforms. He even promised to raise the given cash subsidy 2.5 times.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a candidate from the so called “Advancement” or “2+1” coalition thinks differently: Every administration is obliged to continue the subsidies but only those with low income should receive the cash subsidy. We can exclude the well off from receiving it and put it into long term investments and fund the country’s economy.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Tehran’s mayor and a Principalist candidate believes that the Reform Act is not implemented correctly. But it is a vital necessity that should be continued.

Ghoal Ali Hadad-Adel thinks like his other Principalist friends. He believes that not allocating the subsidy to domestic production has caused serious problems. He also said that the given subsidy cash should be raised considerably.

Kamran Bagheri Lankarani and Alireza Zakani are among the anti-west figures. Lankarani said, he would continue subsidies, keeping a close eye on low income people and limiting the impact it has on the inflation.

Zakani suggested a 7-step program to implement the subsidies. He said we should know the target social group  because now the cash subsidy is distributed among the rich and poor evenly which is not equitable.

Reformists criticize the government on subsidy reforms. Muhammad Reza Aref, (VP in Khatami administration), Hasan Rowhani (head of the Center for Strategic Research), Mustafa Kavakebian (MP) and Masoud Pezeshkian (minister in Hashemi administration) are the best known Reformist candidates. But considering Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s candidacy they are likely to step aside in favor of him.

Hashemi hardly criticizes the Ahmadinejad administration on subsidy reforms and said subsidies should have strengthened producers and improved the country’s economy and agriculture. Instead it has caused inflation and devalued the national currency by giving money to the people.

Hashemi’s critics say he believes in the Capitalist model as he did in his 8 year presidency.

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaee thinks very differently on the issue. This controversial figure is considered a candidate supported by the government.

 He said I feel it’s my duty to continue Ahmadinejad’s policies.

He believes the implemented first step of subsidies had no negative consequences and the government was successful in controlling the inflation.

The conclusion

As we see different views among political parties and different individuals, implementing subsidies and the amount and distribution of cash subsidies will change unless Ahmadinejad’s protégé is elected.

Most of the government critics say it’s very likely that the producers and the low income people will receive a better portion of the cash subsidies.

The anti-Iran sanctions could have a direct impact on implementing the subsidies. Yet this may change according to the final winner’s view towards the West.

We should wait and see that which candidate, with what political and economic proposals will win.

The post Subsidies Are A Hot Election Issue In Iran first appeared on .

Six months after the 10th Presidential Election, the dust had settled and Tehran was calm after a period of unrest. The opposition didn’t reach their goal to cancel the election. It was clear that Iran’s 11th Presidential Election will be a significant one.

In 2009, various opposition groups from inside and outside of Iran, formed the opposition coalition, with the majority of them being the so called “Reformists”. Reformists views are closer to those of Western countries and despite the “Pricipalists” ideology (which is Islam first), they imagine that Western culture and politics, can be embedded in Islamic ideology with a few modifications.

After the 10th Presidential Election, the opposition claimed fraud in the voting and this went on for months. [Just as the opposition in Venezuela is now doing (perhaps the same paymasters)] Senior Iranian officials offered legal ways to pursue the legitimacy of the votes through the Guardian Council, but they refused and the Supreme Leader accused them of trying to topple the government.

The accusation was made once the majority of the opposition stopped street protests. Accordingly, In the eyes of Iranian officials, only those opposition leaders which continued to pursue an incitement to protest were accused that they were acting in collusion with Iran’s enemies, meaning the US and Israel.

In spite of requests from Iranian officials, the Leaders of the Reformist movements defended their acts of 2009.

The dissension between Reformists and the government led to a belief in public opinion that they won’t take part in the 11th Presidential Election; Because they think the Islamic Republic was not a worthy entity for the people’s vote.

But political observers have witnessed statements from Reformist activists citing the importance of being a part of these Presidential Elections. Four Reformists have declared their candidacy so far; even though most of the activists insist on Khatami’s candidacy.

Iran’s Former President (1997-2001), Muhammad Khatami was among the opposition leaders of 2009. He didn’t condemn the acts in 2009 against the Islamic Republic and was on the same dangerous path as Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi. According to security officials, since January 2011, Mousavi and Karroubi were under 24/7 surveillance so that they would not attempt any revolt.

Muhammad Reza Aref declared his candidacy on behalf of Muhammad Khatami, because Khatami’s supporters  suggest he won’t he wont run in the elections.

We can conclude that the majority of the Reformist groups are confused. They don’t know whether Khatami will enter the controversial Presidential race or if he will try to defend his acts in the past. Because Iranian officials claim that if Khatami insisted that his 2009 stance was correct then this could be interpreted as an act of treason and such a person does not merit to be the President.

Based on these facts, some activists say that if Khatami doesn’t pledge loyalty to Iran’s leader and the revolution, he won’t pass the vetting process. The Iranian constitution demands that the Guardian Council examines the qualifications of any candidate.

Khatami, who’s chance of candidacy is very low, said that he doesn’t want to be rejected by an Islamic Republic establishment, meaning the Guardian Council.

Despite the objection from some of the reformists, those close to Khatami are trying to convince him to become a candidate. But they say that if he doesn’t take a step, Ali Akbar Hashemi, a former Iranian President would be a good replacement.

Mohsen Hashemi, his older son said there are many pressures for his father’s candidacy, and he encourages his father to take the plunge.

Hashemi himself didn’t show a willingness to be a candidate but has said that he will support the final winner.

The fragmentation among the reformists didn’t impact moderate members of the movement like Hasan Rohani, Chief of the Supreme National Security Council in the Khatami administration, Mostafa Kavakebian, Head of the Mardom Salari party and Muhammad Shariatmadari, Minister of Commerce in Khatami’s administration have declared candidacy and have even began their campaigns.

Developments at the Principalists front are totally different. They have come up with more than 10 candidates and it is expected that there will be more before the vetting process begins on the 14th May.

Here is a list of Principalists’ declared candidates:

1-   Mohsen Rezaee, Former Chief Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and currently the Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran

2-   Alireza Zakani, member of the Iran’s Majlis (Parliament).

3-   Ali Fallahian, Minister of Intelligence in the cabinet of President Hashemi Rafsanjani from 1989 to 1997.

4-   Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, Minister of Health and Medical Education in the first cabinet of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

5-   Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, former chairman of the Iranian Majlis.

6-   Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the current mayor of Tehran and a candidate in the Iranian presidential election of 2005.

7-   Ali Akbar Velayati, the foreign minister of Iran from 1981 to 1997. Currently he is an advisor on International Affairs to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

8-   Yahya Al-Eshagh, Minister of Commerce under Cabinet of President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (1989–1997)

9-   Mohammad-Reza Bahonar, The First deputy of the Majlis speaker.

10- Seyyed Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard, The second deputy of the Majlis speaker.

11- Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, Minister of the Interior of Iran (2005-2008).

12- Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005- 2010).

Yet some of these candidates have made coalitions to beat their opponents. They’ll remain united until the public through surveys shows a preference for one final candidate and then the others in the coalition should support him.

“Pishraft” coalition is the most significant one, consisting of Ali Akbar Velayati, Gholamali Haddad Adel and Muhammad Bagher Ghablibaf. Each one of them are trying to attract more attention and raise their chance of victory against the two others in the coalition.

Seyef Muhammad Hassan Abutorabifard, Muhammad Reza Bahonar, Yahya Al-eshagh, Mustafa Pourmohammadi and Manuchehr Mottaki form another notable coalition called “Coalition of the Majority of Pricipalists”.

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