In May 2017, Hassan Rouhani, a cleric running on a moderate platform, won a decisive reelection for a second term pledging to open Iran to foreign trade and investment, introduce social and economic reforms and expand personal freedoms.
One year later, political and economic experts are looking at his performance, both at the home front and on the international stage.
Gholamhossein Karbaschi, a pro-reform politician, says he does not have any "regrets" over Rouhani's reelection because of his effective foreign policy, but argues that the current administration does not have the ambition to find long-term fixes to fundamental problems plaguing the country.
Nuclear Dossier
"I am not saying that the government has no shortcomings. However, it is an unprecedented fact in the history of the country, region and the world that a Third World or a developing nation could create fissures in the alliance between superpowers through a diplomatic move," the secretary general of the Executives of Construction Party said in recent remarks carried by ISNA.
He was referring to the fact that Rouhani accomplished his goal of reaching a nuclear agreement with world powers in his first term—despite facing considerable headwinds at home and abroad—and that Europe has adopted a more logical approach to the deal respected by the US in the breach.
The former mayor of Tehran added that Rouhani's administration also deserves credit for the steps it has taken to put an end to the saga of unauthorized credit and financial institutions.
The unlicensed banks and lending bodies, which started out as tiny cooperatives in the 1990s, snowballed into huge quasi-lenders and once took hold of a quarter of the country’s liquidity.
The unauthorized lenders, however, have seen better oversight and controls under Rouhani’s government.
Lack of Passion
However, it cannot be said that its performance has been flawless, Karbaschi noted, adding that sometimes there is a feeling that those in charge have become complacent. "Being ambitious in a positive way can help resolve many of the country's problems."
Lawmaker Hamideh Zarabadi disagrees with Karbaschi and describes as "unsatisfactory" the central bank's performance regarding financial institutions and other issues plaguing the domestic market.
She maintains that one of the weak spots in the administration's record is that its senior officials have "conflicting views" on economic woes and are not speaking with one voice, which has caused anxiety among the masses, according to Tasnim News Agency.
Banking Issues
Mohammad Hossein Adib, an economist, says Rouhani has failed to show progress in addressing banking-related issues such as liquidity, which can be mainly attributed to the appointment of Valiollah Seif as governor of the Central Bank of Iran and who has nothing to show as the top banker after taking office five years ago.
Saeed Eslami Bidgoli, a university professor, also criticized the lack of a single voice in the president's economic team, saying that the existing economic structure needs a major overhaul.
Foreign Exchange Market
Rouhani's administration recently came under fire after the national currency plunged to an all-time low against the US dollar, which prompted the government to rush to unify the official and open market exchange rates.
His second term in office has been marked by criticism of his failure to overhaul the moribund economy, with rising prices triggering nation-wide mass protests late last year.
The unrest, which began over economic grievances but soon took on political connotations, was the worst to hit the country since the 2009 post-election protests.
Some say the president has failed to make good on his campaign promises for social liberalization and civil liberties.
