The 12th Presidential Election in Iran to be Held on May 29, 2017

The spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Interior has announced that the 12th presidential election, the fifth round of city and village councils, and the mid-term elections for the 10th Islamic Consultative Assembly will take place on May 29, 2017. Seyyed Salman Samani told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the Guardian Council has communicated this date to the Ministry of Interior. He stated that 'the Ministry of Interior has made the necessary arrangements for the upcoming elections and will take the necessary actions according to the legal timeline.' The Ministry of Interior had previously suggested May 29 and June 25 as potential dates for the elections to the Guardian Council. Elections in Iran are typically held in June, but since June 2017 coincides with the month of Ramadan, the date has been moved to May. According to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani can participate in the presidential race for another term. Rouhani, who has the nuclear agreement with six world powers on his record, is supported by government supporters and some reformist groups but is under severe pressure from hardline elements within the Islamic Republic. Economic stagnation, despite a decrease in inflation and the release of Iran's assets due to the lifting of international sanctions, dissatisfaction with the JCPOA, and the high salaries of government officials are among the main points of severe attacks by conservatives against the Rouhani administration. Support from government supporters and some reformist figures for Hassan Rouhani comes at a time when conservatives have not yet mentioned potential candidates for the presidential elections, deferring this to the fall of this year. Despite the fact that the President of Iran and his government are responsible for interacting with the outside world and managing the executive branch, the main power remains in the hands of the Supreme Leader and appointed institutions, which the public has no oversight over their performance and behavior. Some media outlets close to conservatives have predicted that Hassan Rouhani's presidency will likely be 'one-term.' For instance, the newspaper 'Javan,' close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, emphasized in its July 20 issue that 'the JCPOA' and 'astronomical salaries' will be two determining factors in the 2017 presidential election, leading to Hassan Rouhani's presidency being 'one-term.' This newspaper argued that 'on the one hand, people feel no positive change in their living and economic conditions due to the JCPOA, and on the other hand, they observe the weakening of social justice due to the growth of financial corruption among government officials.' If Hassan Rouhani fails to be re-elected in the 2017 presidential election, it will be the first time in the history of the Islamic Revolution that a president has not been re-elected. Hassan Rouhani was elected as the seventh president of Iran on June 14, 2013, with over 18 million votes. No one has officially announced their candidacy for the presidential election yet, but in addition to Hassan Rouhani, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president, and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the mayor of Tehran, are also mentioned as potential candidates. Ahmadinejad has recently begun his provincial trips, and some reports indicate that he intends to enter the presidential election race. The name Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, has also been mentioned, but neither he nor those close to him have confirmed or denied this news. Alongside the presidential election, voting for the fifth round of city and village councils will also take place, in which 120,000 council members across the country will be elected.