Presidential Hopefuls Urged to Prioritize the Underprivileged

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei advised the six contenders running for the May 19 presidential poll to prioritize the disadvantaged and pledge to support them if elected.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the statement while addressing a gathering of workers on the eve of International Workers' Day, May 1, according to a transcript posted on Leader.ir.The field of candidates is almost equally divided between incumbent President Hassan Rouhani and reformists Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri and former industries minister, Mostafa

Hashemitaba, and their principlist rivals, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former prosecutor general Ebrahim Raeisi and former culture minister, Mostafa Mirsalim.  They launched their campaigns on April 21 and have until 24 hours before the election to canvass for votes.  

Ayatollah Khamenei said the candidates should be aware that settlement of difficulties facing the country is only feasible through "revolutionary" management.

"Since the first day, the next chief executive and economic officials should focus on [alleviating] unemployment," he said, adding that boosting domestic production in agriculture, industries and services sectors is crucial for creating jobs.

Increased production and higher employment are key requirements for the realization of Resistance Economy, a set of principles aimed at making the country invulnerable to economic wars waged by foreign powers.

The concept was first raised by the Leader in 2011 and it was the motto for the previous year as well as for the current year, which is designated as "Resistance Economy: Employment and Production".

The Leader also called on over 55 million eligible Iranians to cast their ballots, saying their maximum participation helps keep the country safe and fend off the threat of war.He noted that the fear of people's presence prevents the impertinent and bulling adversaries from taking any military action against Iran.

Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran's enemies will be emboldened, if they believe there is a gap between the nation and the establishment."Everyone who loves the country, the system and security should go to the polls. Their decisive presence will rid the country of [the enemies'] evil plans."

What We Learned From Iran's Presidential Debate: QuickTake Q&A

Iran's May 19 election is seen as a referendum on the policies of President Hassan Rouhani, the moderate cleric who championed integrating Iran with the global economy and accepted limits on his nation's nuclear work in exchange for relief from sanctions. He entered his reelection campaign facing criticism from conservatives and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over his economic policies. The economy was a main theme of the first of three televised debates among Rouhani and his five challengers.

1. Who emerged as Rouhani's chief conservative challenger? 

While it's hard to draw conclusions from one debate, analysts highlighted the performance of Tehran's mayor, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The conservative candidate was the most vocal in his attacks on Rouhani, casting doubt on the president's assertion that the business environment has improved, and accusing him of failing to create as many jobs as he had promised. "Qalibaf is clearly emerging as Rouhani's key challenger," said Ariane Tabatabai, a visiting assistant professor of security studies at Georgetown University in Washington, who follows Iran closely.

2. What was the main theme of the debate? 

While social affairs was the theme introduced at the start of the program, the conversation quickly shifted to economic challenges. The six candidates debated social inequality, the shortage of affordable housing, and female employment. They also clashed over whether the government delivered on its promises to improve the living standards among poor Iranians. One of the conservative challengers accused Rouhani of forgetting his pledge to create enough jobs, putting the president on the defensive. In a survey conducted by the Toronto-based IranPoll this month, more than 50 percent said the next president's top priority should be to reduce unemployment.

3. Who has Khamenei's support? 

Many believe it's Ebrahim Raisi, a cleric who entered the race as an unknown figure for many Iranians but still was seen as the favorite to unseat Rouhani. Only 9 percent of those surveyed by IranPoll said they had a "very favorable" view Raisi, while 46 percent said they don't know him. "I did not have high expectations" for Raisi in the first debate, said Farzan Sabet, Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation in Stanford University. Raisi's lack of name recognition means he has to do better, Tabatabai said.

4. How did Rouhani do? 

An accomplished orator and an experienced statesman, Rouhani continued to defendhis economic record and achievements, which include bringing the rate of inflation below 10 percent for the first time in more than a decade. Compared with presidential debates four years ago, however, he "did not manage his time well and his responses were not sharp and to the point," Sabet said. Javad Daliri, editor of the the reformist Etemad daily newspaper, said the president held his own. "Rouhani neither won nor lost," he wrote.

5. Were there any surprises in the debate? 

Yes. Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri, who indicated he would campaign for his boss rather than against him, put on an impressive defense of Rouhani and his policies, delivering sharp rebuttals. His presence helped divert some attacks against the president. Even the conservative Jomhouri-e-Eslami newspaper acknowledged his performance, saying he and Rouhani both shone. Etemad, a reformist newspaper, called it the "Jahangiri earthquake." Tabatabai said the vice president was clearly trying to garner more support for Rouhani.

6. Couldn't Jahangiri take votes from Rouhani? The performance of Jahangiri, who wasn't taken seriously when he registered as candidate, defied expectations, said Afshin Shahi, senior lecturer in international relations and Middle East politics at the University of Bradford in the U.K. Should he not step down in favor of Rouhani, he will "fragment the liberal, urban and reformist vote, which can potentially pave the way to the victory of a hardline candidate," he said. "Reformist and moderates cannot afford this" and there will likely be "a pragmatic compromise" before election day, he said.

7. What happens next? 

There are two more debates scheduled. If no one surpasses 50 percent of the vote in the May 19 first-round vote, a runoff will be held between the top two candidates.