TEHRAN: A senior reformist candidate forecast victory for allies of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over hard-line opponents in parliamentary elections on Friday, saying this would help the pragmatic leader revive an economy hit by years of sanctions.
Former Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref told Reuters that even if hard-liners retain control of the 290-seat assembly, moderates would seek allies to enable them to press for an opening of the $400-billion economy to the outside world.
“We think we will get it, but if we don’t get the majority and if we are a minority we will make a coalition to pursue our reforms and development plans,” he said in an interview.
“Our speculation is that the extremists or principlists won’t have the majority in the Parliament and the general atmosphere of the majlis (Parliament) will be changed. It is our hope but also our analysis is based on reality.”
The term principlists means hard-liners who generally are anti-Western and keen to preserve the conservative core values and principles of the 1979 revolution. Such politicians are estimated to control in effect 60 percent of the house.
Aref, a Stanford-educated former presidential candidate and minister, who served as vice president to the former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, leads the reformist list in the crucial contest in Tehran, where more than 1,000 candidates are competing for just 30 seats in Parliament.
Former Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref told Reuters that even if hard-liners retain control of the 290-seat assembly, moderates would seek allies to enable them to press for an opening of the $400-billion economy to the outside world.
“We think we will get it, but if we don’t get the majority and if we are a minority we will make a coalition to pursue our reforms and development plans,” he said in an interview.
“Our speculation is that the extremists or principlists won’t have the majority in the Parliament and the general atmosphere of the majlis (Parliament) will be changed. It is our hope but also our analysis is based on reality.”
The term principlists means hard-liners who generally are anti-Western and keen to preserve the conservative core values and principles of the 1979 revolution. Such politicians are estimated to control in effect 60 percent of the house.
Aref, a Stanford-educated former presidential candidate and minister, who served as vice president to the former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, leads the reformist list in the crucial contest in Tehran, where more than 1,000 candidates are competing for just 30 seats in Parliament.
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