Rouhani Avoids Clear Answer on His Candidacy for Upcoming Elections

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, on Monday refrained from giving a clear answer to a question about his potential candidacy in the upcoming elections, stating that "you need to wait two or three days for an answer to this question." The Iranian President, speaking at a press conference on Monday, April 10, added: "From tomorrow, the registration of applicants will begin. Registration lasts for five days. If you wait five days, it will be clear who will enter the electoral arena." He also criticized the statistics and "lies" of his opponents and defended his government's performance in the economic sector, stating that he is "not sufficiently satisfied" with the government's performance in ensuring political and cultural freedoms, noting that not everything is under the government's control. In response to a question, he stated that he is "moderately satisfied" with the government's performance in this area because not all matters are under the government's control, and in some cases, the government's efforts "did not bear fruit." Previously, Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate, criticized Rouhani's government record on legal freedoms as "very weak" and noted that he has made "no changes" in the Ministry of Intelligence contrary to his electoral promises. Rouhani urged the public to speak up if they are dissatisfied with any issue or if it does not align with their freedom of thought, so that those seeking to limit their freedoms, including blocking social media, realize that "people get angry." He pointed out that "if it were not for the efforts of the President and the government, you would not see a network that is alive and sacrifices everyone." Rouhani also announced that during his government, the environment in high schools and universities has become "less security-oriented." His comments come as 92 student organizations criticized the continued "climate of intimidation and threat" and the "security" atmosphere in Iranian universities in a letter to the President last August, protesting the cancellation of student organization programs and "illegal and extralegal interventions" in their conduct. Judicial and security officials have also made numerous attempts in recent years to block social media, including "Telegram," but Rouhani's government claims to have opposed these requests. Mahmoud Vaezi, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, announced on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, that his ministry would not be influenced by "pressures" and "the efforts of certain individuals" to filter Telegram, and this messaging service would not be filtered during the presidential election period. Rouhani also stated that individuals should not be imprisoned for supporting parties, adding: "One of the methods some use is... if they want to summon someone on Saturday, they take them on Friday so that, as some say, they can spend two nights in the desirable prison water." According to the Iranian President, based on a report from the Ministry of Intelligence, the managers of Telegram channels who were recently arrested "committed no crime." Rouhani added: "The Minister of Interior, Justice, and Intelligence are following up on this matter to provide me with an accurate report. If the initial report given to me by the Minister of Intelligence is correct, which I hope is not, I will definitely inform the people." Last March, managers of several Telegram channels and a number of journalists, including Hengameh Shahidi, Morad Taghafi, Ehsan Mazandarani, and Ramin Karimi, a researcher and translator, were arrested. The Iranian President had previously asked the Minister of Interior to prepare a report on the "suspicious" arrest of several media activists ahead of the elections and to prevent the "illegal" interference of certain entities in the elections. Mahmoud Alavi, Iran's Minister of Intelligence, also stated that the government opposes the arrest of Telegram channel managers. Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran in the Parliament, Hesameddin Ashna, an advisor to Rouhani, and several members of the Hope faction in Parliament reacted to these arrests, linking them to the presidential elections of 2017. Rouhani also criticized the act of giving statistics and telling "lies" to the people, describing it as "the highest betrayal to the nation," particularly lies that lead to despair and hopelessness among the people. He referred to criticisms of the Vienna nuclear agreement, saying: "I do not know why some people are like smoke machines. They just talk and create smoke... Why do we cloud the atmosphere? Why do we make people doubt?" He added: "For example, a number of airplanes were purchased. I do not know why some were upset and said, 'Why a new airplane?' We ride the old one." In response to a question about his promise to solve problems in 100 days, he said: "I said that if I succeed in the elections, I will announce the first 100-day actions, but some destructive individuals said that I claimed to solve problems in 100 days. The person who could solve problems overnight was someone else; we are not that person." The Iranian President announced that on Sunday, a directive with a specific timeline for "national production and employment" was sent to all agencies. He also stated that during the previous government, from 2007 to 2012, net employment was below 10,000 people, but this figure was 630,000 last year. On Saturday, April 8, he also criticized the "lies, destruction, and slander" against his government ahead of the presidential elections, urging conservative candidates to seek "fair competition" and to speak about their "merits" and plans. Candidates from the "Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces (JAMNA)" group harshly criticized Rouhani's government performance on Friday, April 7. Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, also expressed doubt about the state media's criticism of official economic statistics through interviews with some people without providing numbers, calling it "trivial" and stating that a "special political team" in this institution prepares "calculated programs" to "destroy" the government. Nobakht's comments came after the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic expressed doubts about the government's economic statistics and harshly criticized the government's economic performance. In recent months, Friday prayer leaders have also severely criticized the government's performance in the economic sector. Hours after Ayatollah Khamenei's Nowruz message, Hassan Rouhani, in a speech defending the government's performance, stated that "even ten subsequent governments will not be able to solve all problems," but the government has chosen a "correct" path that is moving toward reducing problems. Rouhani's government officials cite cases such as an 11% economic growth and a single-digit inflation rate as evidence of improving economic conditions for the people compared to the early days of this government. Rouhani also described improving the lives of low-income individuals as a "serious concern" of the eleventh government, adding: "The salaries of low-income individuals have doubled over the four years of this government." He announced that equal cash payments to all individuals are "not very desirable," and cash subsidies will "increase for low-income groups." In response to presidential candidates' promises to increase subsidies, he said that "deceptive and populist actions are not worthy of our nation." He emphasized that the amount of income the government receives from the elimination of subsidies and the amount of subsidies that need to be paid is clear and that this issue is "not an auction where they can raise the amount." According to Rouhani, based on the report of the Court of Audit, during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, illegal actions were taken to pay subsidies with the same current amount, and money was paid from the treasury. Hamid Baqai, Ahmadinejad's executive deputy during his presidency, has promised that if he becomes president, he will raise the subsidy amount to 250,000 tomans in three stages. Previously, Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, called the promise of a 250,000 toman subsidy "a lie" and stated that this electoral promise is a type of "big lie and the biggest lie to the poor."