Rouhani Seen as Reformists’ Only Hope

The reformist camp still believes that incumbent President Hassan Rouhani is best positioned to represent it in the upcoming election, despite the government’s shortcomings in his first term, a prominent reformist politician said.

“We are critical of Rouhani and have some complaints and demands. But considering his rivals and our electoral strategy, Rouhani was our only choice,” Abdollah Ramezanzadeh also told a gathering of Rouhani’s student supporters on Monday, IRNA reported.

Rouhani’s conservative contenders have faulted the nuclear deal negotiated by his team of diplomats with major powers, claiming that they conceded too much to the other side and failed to receive the expected dividends.

Ramezanzadeh, who was an advisor to a former reformist president, chided Rouhani’s critics and accused them of “lying” to protect their interests.

“They claim that JCPOA [the nuclear deal] has not yielded gains because it has undermined their interests. They are lying,” he said.

Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Ebrahim Raeisi, the custodian of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), are Rouhani’s main conservative challengers in the May 19 election.