Turnout key for Iran's Election, A Challenge for Rouhani

Breitbart ^ | May 14th, 2017 | Breitbart Jerusalem

[BostonNeocon]

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s presidential election may turn on turnout. Historically, the more Iranians who cast ballots, the greater the chance a reformist or a moderate like incumbent President Hassan Rouhani will be elected.

However, Rouhani’s bid for another four-year term comes amid apathy and grumbling from an electorate that largely hasn’t seen the benefits of his signature nuclear deal with world powers. As his opponents promise populist cash handouts to the poor, Rouhani needs all the voters he can to cast ballots on May 19. But even some of his supporters say they may stay home.

Rouhani faces his most-serious challenge from hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi, a favorite of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi already has the support of two major clerical bodies that declined to endorse anyone in the last presidential election.

Raisi has pledged to support the poor with a monthly cash payment equivalent to $65 — about a sixth of what a menial laborer makes in a month. Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a conservative vying for the presidency, has promised to pay the poor the equivalent of up to $40 monthly.

Iran’s government already pays nearly $12 billion in relief to the poor, which includes $13 monthly cash allotments.

Cash payouts helped win rural voters over to the hard-line former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was barred by authorities from running in this election. Rouhani’s administration has sought to cut back such cash payments, instead trying to use the money to fund development projects.

[BostonNeocon]

To label Rouhani a "moderate" as he's invaded Yemen and ramped up Iran's state-sponsored terror activities is nothing short of 1984-tier Newspeak. I can't wait for liberals to start calling Syrians "moderate beheaders"

[dp0622]

Maybe they’re fair up to a point since the religious nuts have the power anyway.

But a candidate who wanted a secular society and open doors to the west would not make it to get in the elections or have any chance of winning in a rigged system

[Colonel Kangaroo]

Much of Iran's "state-sponsored terrorism" are activities against their great Islamic rival and precious, beloved USA friend Saudi Arabia. Islamic local intramurals should not be a primary concern to us except when it concerns the genuine terrorists who inspire and carry out attcks against American and western civilians. In the fight against the actual terrorists, Iran is our real de facto aĺly, doing more than our so-called friends dear to the hearts of people like McCain and Graham.

As far as Rouhani is concerned, he seems about the best the world can hope for. Anybody in The West waiting for the Iranian people to elect a lap dog who will be supine before the western globalist world order is likely to be disappointed. Iran chose their Brexit in 1979 and doesn't yet seem ready to fully rejoin the club.

[Fred Hayek]

Rouhani a reformer? Right. The position of president in Iran is merely a figurehead, a sham, where the real power is with Khameini.

[BlackVeil]

It is Saudi Arabia, in Yemen. Iran doesn’t have troops there.