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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Anti-govt protests now look like an opportunity for Iran’s president |
| 2018-02-27 |
| [DAWN] When Iran’s worst unrest in years broke out in December, the country’s president, Hassan Rouhani, saw a rare chance to push for reform. Rouhani had won a second term last year campaigning on a platform for change. But he faced stiff resistance from the country’s hard-line holy mans, who wield the ultimate authority. So as Iranian protesters, furious over political repression and a stagnant economy, erupted into the streets for nearly two weeks, Rouhani leveraged their anger to promote his agenda. Since then, he has increased pressure on Iran’s armed forces, including the powerful Revolutionary Guard, to divest from the economy. And he has made moves to overhaul a chaotic banking sector, where illicit lenders wiped out the savings of small depositors, helping stir the unrest. The president has publicly sided with the protesters and urged his rivals to heed their calls. "People have criticism and objections on the economic issue and they have a right. But the objections aren’t only economic," Rouhani said at a televised news conference earlier this month, according to Rooters. "They also have something to say about political and social issues and foreign relations. Our ears must be completely open to listen and know what the people want." The sentiment has registered with the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who on Sunday acknowledged the criticism and said officials were "well aware" of the issues plaguing the country. Amir Handjani, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Centre, said Rouhani "has gone further than any Iranian president" in advocating for political and economic reforms. "He has pushed back on the notion that all protesters are seditionists, he has given them space to air their grievances, and he has said they have a right to question their leaders," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |