Main Concerns of Six Presidential Candidates During Registration

Mostafa Pourmohammadi, whose name is tied to the executions of 1988, likely addressed the young generation who might want to vote for him, saying, "We were full of lofty dreams, but today we are not where we wanted to be." However, many believe that he and the regime he defends are responsible for the current situation, claiming that figures like Pourmohammadi have robbed them of their youth. He, along with five others, has been introduced by the Guardian Council as candidates for the Iranian presidency. Following the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the Islamic Republic began the process of holding early elections, and in the first phase, 80 individuals registered and presented their initial electoral promises for five minutes. What differences exist among these promises, and how do they align with public demands and collective concerns? The main themes of the candidates' speeches at the election headquarters revolved around issues such as justice, fighting corruption, the people's government, implementing Khamenei's general policies, and transforming the governance structure of the country. In these speeches, Alireza Zakani, the current mayor of Tehran, stated, "I intend to stay with the people until the end with plans and a record for the advancement of dear Iran, focusing on justice by eliminating corruption and discrimination." He also declared transparency and an unwavering fight against rent-seeking as part of his program. Zakani recently signed a large, opaque contract with Mahan Airlines, granting them a 30,000 square meter land deed in Tehran for a recreational and tourism center. The issue of a two billion euro opaque contract with a Chinese construction company for bus imports remains ambiguous. In these speeches, Masoud Pezeshkian, a former health minister and current member of parliament, emphasized the need for precise implementation of the Supreme Leader's general policies and the use of capable individuals. Saeed Jalili, known for his extremism and rigidity, spoke of a "historic opportunity for a great jihad for Iran's leap" through a "serving government." Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, head of the Martyrs and Veterans Affairs Foundation, referred to the importance of a people's and ideological government and the role of elite youth. He, who was also Raisi's deputy, emphasized that he would continue Raisi's path and called his promises a "revolution of compatibility." Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the current speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, spoke of the country's mismanagement in the 1990s and the need to create an efficient and revolutionary government. He listed various problems facing the country, stating that all of them are solvable. He, who has been at the center of political controversies for the past couple of decades, also claimed that his presence would reduce political disputes. Interestingly, at the same time that the Guardian Council announced the results of disqualifications, Yashar Soltani, a serious critic and whistleblower on Qalibaf's related corruption, was arrested and imprisoned within hours. Among all the speeches, perhaps the most unusual was Pourmohammadi's. He did not present any program and only referred to past failures and shortcomings. He merely promised at the end of his speech to establish the fourteenth government with priorities of justice, wealth, and power. The economy was the main focus of the five-minute speeches of these six candidates; repetitive promises without any novelty. Zakani, whose name is associated with corruption and the distribution of rents to his associates and family, spoke of his program to eliminate corruption and discrimination for economic advancement. Pezeshkian, the only candidate approved from the so-called reformist camp, emphasized that he came to help with enthusiastic participation and stressed the need to implement the Supreme Leader's general policies to achieve a superior economic position in the region. He stated that we were supposed to be developed, but we are not. This "supposed" was also emphasized by Pourmohammadi, who said, "It was not supposed that many of you would be worried about making ends meet." Jalili referred to maximizing the use of "opportunities" and preventing the waste of resources. He said, "Monopolies will be broken, and incorrect delineations will be removed." His emphasis on economic issues was solely on justice and progress, without highlighting any other points. Ghazizadeh Hashemi promised to achieve six to eight percent economic growth by creating a people's and ideological government. He stated that he wants to increase employment for family prosperity, reduce inflation to single digits, and eliminate absolute poverty; statements reminiscent of the electoral promises of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a former president of Iran. Qalibaf, who announced his candidacy on the last day of registrations, said in his speech, "The main concerns of the people are economic and livelihood issues." He also referred to eliminating corruption and addressing poverty, discrimination, inequality, and crushing housing costs. He emphasized that he has come to bring to fruition "the work that has been started in recent years to solve the economic issues of the people in the people's government and revolutionary parliament." All this while the current speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has faced serious allegations of financial corruption and abuse of power since his relatively distant years as mayor of Tehran. In 2005, he made headlines with allegations of receiving "dirty money" for his election campaign. The astronomical property scandal, using municipal funds for the Imam Reza charity named after his wife, and the "Sismoni Gate" are just a few instances of corruption in his record. What was not said? The economy was the main topic of the candidates. Of course, this issue is also the most serious concern of the people. Various studies published in Iranian academic journals over the years indicate that factors related to living conditions have been the most influential in candidate selection. However, these studies also state that the lack of a tangible portrayal of the presidential candidates' economic situation in the future reduces participation. Nevertheless, these candidates, like in previous presidential elections, promised single-digit inflation, economic growth, and the eradication of poverty, without mentioning issues such as oil sales, reforming tax collection processes, or the various bankrupt funds of the country, and they did not even mention workers or retirees. One notable point in the speeches of these six candidates is that none of them spoke about foreign policy or mentioned their efforts to lift sanctions. Interestingly, most of the disqualified figures referred to this issue in their five-minute speeches. Issues related to women were absent from the candidates' speeches. Even in light of the "Women, Life, Freedom" protest movement in 2022, which shook Iran and was severely suppressed, none of the candidates mentioned the demands arising from these protests. Beyond that, the subjects of individual rights and freedoms were completely overlooked in their speeches. On the other hand, in the past four years, millions of Iranians have faced serious restrictions in accessing free internet, which has had significant negative impacts on their daily lives and businesses. However, in the candidates' speeches, only Qalibaf spoke about the internet; he is the one under whose presidency the so-called "protection" plan emerged in parliament, a plan aimed at creating more restrictions on the free flow of information. All six of these individuals, while claiming to address some collective problems, have each played a role in the power structure over the years and continue to emphasize the implementation of "leadership policies" as a model for any transformation and change. Now it remains to be seen what direction the words of these candidates will take in the coming days and whether they will resonate with collective concerns or not, and whether they will have the ability to encourage a wide range of people, who are disillusioned or protesting against the government, to participate in the elections.