When Iran's Supreme Leader has single vote

Hassan Rohani won a majority of votes in an election which was held completely democratic, at least in voting and counting processes.

But, time will tell how he would deal with Ahmadinejad's legacy, including 32 percent inflation, 40 percent devaluation of the rial, 60 percent fall in oil exports, and 2 percent economic contraction just over the past year, as well as 3 million jobless, 4 rounds of sanctions by the UN and banking sanctions of the West, $600 billion of government debt to the banking system, and 40 percent closed down industrial units over the past eight years. He will rely on 72 percent people who participated in the election.

On Friday, Iran's Supreme Leader said that he has just a single vote. He called electoral officials to observe transparency and faithfulness, which came true, so that none of the candidates cast a minor doubt over the results.

The election's result was a lesson, not only for principlists, but also for the entire world, and that was the reliance on people. Some of the candidates tried to gain the support of semi-government and semi-military forces, such as Basij and IRGC. They even spoke of personal participation in the suppression of the opposition's protests in recent years. Some other candidates repeated slogans which are said by the ruling system about resistance against the West. Just two candidates, namely Aref and Rohani, selected slogans to win the public support. Of the two, Aref step aside in favor of Rohani.

The most surprising thing was that nearly all of MPs announced their support in three statements from three candidates who gained votes totally as much as Rohani. Meanwhile, just a couple of MPs supported Rohani.

Anyway, people were the real winner in the election. Results of the election will certainly secure Iran from international crises and will remove the clouds of war. Time will tell how the next president, who is supported by all the political fronts, including moderate principlists and reformists, and is backed by the Supreme Leader and the IRGC, can remove tensions with the West over the nuclear program and reduce the pressure of sanctions.

Europe and the US have welcomed results of the election. Rohani has been served as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator. He reached agreement with the West in 2003. He has proved his prudence and efficiency.

Although the Supreme Leader decides about Iran's nuclear policies, but methods of negotiation are in the hands of Rohani. This is an advantage of the West to pursue collaboration with Iran and settle concerns with just and fair approach.


Dalga Khatinoglu   /Trend/