Rouhani: This Year's Election is a Choice Between Continuation of Freedom of Expression or Return to Security Conditions

Hassan Rouhani characterized this presidential election not as a choice of a president, but as a choice between 'continuing the path of freedom of expression or returning to security conditions' and also between returning to the 'isolation of Iran' or lifting this 'isolation'. The presidential candidate stated on Sunday, April 22, in a speech in Qazvin to his supporters that 'today, the important issue is not who is elected as president, but whether our society's atmosphere should be more open or whether it should return to the past and become closed'. He added: 'From now on, do we want to continue the path of freedom of expression or not, and should the security atmosphere return to universities or not?'. On Tuesday, April 10, Rouhani also announced in a press conference that during his administration, the atmosphere in high schools and universities has become 'less security-oriented'. He also stated that he is 'not sufficiently satisfied' with the government's performance in ensuring political and cultural freedoms, noting that not all actions in this area were under the government's control. During the 2013 election campaign and throughout his presidency, he repeatedly expressed support for the political and cultural activities of students and promised that his government would strive to distance universities from a 'security atmosphere'. However, several student organizations have repeatedly protested against the 'climate of intimidation and threat' and the 'security atmosphere' in Iranian universities by publishing letters. Recently, at the end of April, 72 Islamic student associations issued a statement regarding the summons of 50 student activists to judicial authorities and the suspension of seven Islamic associations, criticizing the 'pressure and restrictions' on student activities by institutions inside and outside universities. In his remarks on Sunday, Rouhani also criticized the economic performance of the previous government, adding: 'Do we want peace and stability to prevail in the political, economic, and market atmosphere, or do we want to be worried every day and hour about the next day and hour?'. He posed the question: 'Do we want to start confrontation with the world again and have the ominous shadow of war return to the country? Or do we want to continue a dignified or constructive interaction with the world?'. The President of Iran added: 'Do we want to return to the conditions of Iran's isolation, or do we want to lift the isolation forever? These days are the time for the great nation of Iran to make decisions'. Rouhani has previously stated that the Vienna nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA has removed the 'shadow of war' from Iran and has brought many achievements in the economic field for Iran. However, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and his close associates have repeatedly emphasized that this agreement has practically had no 'achievements'. Officials of Rouhani's government cite cases such as an 11% economic growth and a single-digit inflation rate as evidence of improved economic conditions for the people compared to the early days of this government, although some analysts and media report that economic growth has not yet had a noticeable impact on the living conditions of the Iranian people and employment. In this regard, Fereydoun Khavand, an economic analyst, wrote in an analysis on Radio Farda last March that one of the main reasons for the worsening labor market despite the increase in growth rates is the oil-based nature of the growth, and that the activation of the oil industry and the increase in production and exports of this commodity is not in itself job-creating. On Sunday, Mustafa Mir-Salim, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Ebrahim Raisi, three conservative candidates for the presidential election, also criticized the economic situation of the country. On this day, Qalibaf stated in a speech in Sari that 'the country is in an economic crisis, and this major economic challenge has upset all the people of Iran'. Ebrahim Raisi also emphasized on Sunday in a gathering of conservative representatives in the parliament that the economic situation of the country 'is not good at all and there are serious problems in the monetary and financial system of the country'. He added: 'It is not acceptable to the people for a government to accuse the previous government of administrative corruption, and saying 'thief' does not solve the problem'. Mustafa Mir-Salim, in his first press conference, stated that 'the government chose an easy solution to manage the country based on the assumption that it could reach an agreement with the West, as if the country could be managed by selling oil. But since these assumptions did not materialize and sanctions were not lifted, the government could not achieve what it wanted'. He emphasized that he criticizes the government and considers himself a rival to the government, evaluating the continuation of the current government's activities as detrimental to the country. Hassan Rouhani, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Eshaq Jahangiri, Ebrahim Raisi, Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, and Mustafa Mir-Salim are the six candidates who have been approved by the Guardian Council to participate in the Iranian presidential election. On Sunday, details of the presidential election debates were also announced, according to which the first debate will be held on Friday, April 27, on economic issues. This debate will last for three hours and will be held with the presence of the six presidential candidates and will be broadcast live on Channel One and the News Network of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The candidates will also debate on social issues on Friday, May 5, and on political issues on May 19. Unlike the 2009 presidential election, these debates will not be held in pairs, but will be held collectively like the 2013 presidential election.