Iran: Women, youths excited over president-elect Pezeshkian
Masoud Pezeshkian, a moderate member of the Iranian parliament, has been elected as the new president of Iran.
He emerged victorious against his hardline conservative rival in Friday’s run-off presidential elections by a decisive margin. Pezeshkian, 69, will succeed Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last month.
Celebrations erupted across Tehran and other cities as Pezeshkian’s supporters, predominantly young people, filled the streets with singing, dancing, and waving green flags.
The election of Pezeshkian has sparked a sense of hope among the younger generation, who had been feeling increasingly despondent about their future, with many contemplating emigration for a better life.
Pezeshkian, who has represented Tabriz in parliament since 2008 and previously served as Iran’s health minister, has a poignant personal history.
He lost his wife and one of his children in a car accident in the 1990s and raised his remaining three children alone.
His victory is credited to have disrupted the plans of Islamic hardliners who aimed to install another conservative leader to maintain their control over the government alongside Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
At a polling station in Tehran, 48-year-old Fatemeh told AFP that she voted for Pezeshkian because he prioritizes women’s and young people’s rights.
Afarin, a 37-year-old beauty salon owner in Isfahan, expressed her cautious support, acknowledging that while Pezeshkian may face significant challenges, he is a preferable option to a hardliner.
Many voters boycotted the first round of voting last week, frustrated by repression, economic sanctions, and a lack of choice among the candidates, five of whom were hardline Islamists.
This sense of despair was compounded by the belief that with Ayatollah Khamenei having the final say over government policy, real change was unlikely.
Azad, a 35-year-old HR manager and activist who has been jailed twice for criticizing the Iranian government, chose not to vote, describing Khamenei as the “puppeteer” of Iran.
She criticized the reformists for failing to make meaningful political reforms since the Islamic Revolution.
Despite these concerns, many voters turned out in the run-off election to tactically support Pezeshkian and block the hardline candidate Saeed Jalili, whose anti-Western stance and controversial domestic policies, such as the morality police patrols, were deeply unpopular.
Pezeshkian has called for “constructive relations” with Western nations and the revival of the nuclear deal to alleviate Iran’s crippling sanctions.
He opposes the use of force to impose compulsory hijab rules, a significant issue following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, which sparked massive protests.
As president-elect, Pezeshkian is expected to take office soon. His promises include pushing to revive the nuclear deal, easing sanctions, joining international banking conventions, and removing internet censors.
However, his ability to bring about meaningful change remains uncertain, as he will need to navigate Iran’s conservative political system and negotiate with the U.S. for sanctions relief.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East & North Africa Programme at Chatham House, noted that Pezeshkian will need to build support across the conservative-dominated system and that meaningful economic progress hinges on successful negotiations with the U.S.
Credit: BBC
