By Una Galani
DUBAI, June 17 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The election of moderate cleric Hassan Rohani to the presidency showed the level of public discontent with Iran's ruling hardliners. A radical change in foreign policy, allowing an economic turnaround, is unlikely. But the balance of power in Tehran has definitely shifted.
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CONTEXT NEWS
- Moderate cleric Hassan Rohani won Iran's presidential election, the interior ministry said on June 15, securing a wide margin over conservative rivals.
- Rohani won 50.71 percent of the votes, enough to avoid a second-round run-off. Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf came second with 16.6 percent of votes.
- Rohani was Iran's nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005, during which time the country temporarily agreed to suspend uranium enrichment-related activities.
- He continues to serve on two eminent advisory bodies and was active in the opposition that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah in the 1979 revolution.
- Rohani's campaign was endorsed in the late stages by former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani after the latter was barred from running.
- "A vote for any of these candidates is a vote for the Islamic Republic and a vote of confidence in the system", Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni said on June 15 through his official Twitter account.
- The second term of current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will officially end on August 3.
- The voter turnout was around 72 percent.
- Reuters: Iranians count on president-elect Rohani to bring change
(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.)
- For previous columns by the author, Reuters customers can click on
(Editing by Pierre Brianon and Sarah Bailey)
((una.galani@thomsonreuters.com))
((Reuters messaging: una.galani.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: BREAKINGVIEWS IRAN/
