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- Iran’s Zarif leaves Tehran for Moscow
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- Japan’s Abe to meet Iran’s president to discuss easing tension in region
- Downing of US spy drone shattered war threats against Iran: Top IRGC commander
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- Iranian Taekwondo team wins 2019 World Cup championship
- US sanctions failed to force Iran to buckle: Report
- Crew fixing Iran oil tanker broken down in Red Sea
- As Iranians hold nerves, US seeks to scare off trade
- Leader expresses concern about Kashmir, urges India to follow fair policy toward Muslim-majority region
- Iran saffron exports down due to smuggling, government restrictions: Exporter
- Iran FM warns US against ‘serious miscalculation’ in Persian Gulf
- Iran’s resistance policy led to release of oil tanker: MP
- Iran in reverse brain drain as top students come home in rising numbers
- Iran official calls for compensation for tanker seizure
- Iran hails N Korea for standing against ‘unilateral’ US demands
- Shia Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Ghadir
- North Korea praises Iran’s anti-US struggle
- Zarif says to meet French president Friday
- Iranian court hearing case of UK oil tanker
- Over half of Japanese voters oppose joining US-led anti-Iran coalition in Persian Gulf: Poll
- IME trade ups by 21 percent in July
- Finland backs INSTEX in defiance of US
- US anti-Iran policy in high seas harms Europeans: LA Times
- Iran, China confer on Syria
- Iran, Finland share views on Persian Gulf dialogue forum: Zarif
- Iran warns US against seizure of oil tanker
- Iraq eager to benefit from Iranian Police’s experience
- Iran planning 3rd step to reduce nuclear commitments: Spokesman
- Leader grants clemency to over 1,000 Iranian inmates
- Registration for Arbaeen Pilgrimage to begin in Iran on Friday
- Iran, Iraq agree to reopen Khosravi border crossing
- Iran deplores suicide attack at Kabul wedding hall
- Iran to hold int'l hand-woven carpets expo
- Zarif meets with Iran-Kuwait Friendship Group members
- Adrian Darya oil tanker not under any sanctions, says Iran envoy
- ‘Iran to stay in nuclear deal as long as its interests are met’
- India envoy happy with positive trend of trade with Iran
- Iran’s annual export of white meat tops 2.5m tons: Minister
- Iranian scientist discovers new state of matter
- Iran, Japan diplomats discuss bilateral ties
- Iran, Ansarullah, European representatives Yemen developments
- ‘Iran to become self-sufficient in producing aircraft engines'
- US issues seizure warrant for Iranian supertanker 'Grace 1'
- Neanderthal tooth unearthed near Iran’s Zagros mountain
- Iran’s Zarif due in Kuwait on Saturday
- US faces humiliating defeat after Gibraltar releases Iranian tanker: Envoy
- Spokesman rejects claim on Iran’s commitment in exchange for tanker release
- Zarif reacts to release of Iranian tanker in Gibraltar
- Israel, UAE engaged in secret talks on Iran arranged by US: Report
- US threatens visa ban as Iranian-operated tanker sets to sail from Gibraltar
- Enemies must factor Iran's global power in their calculations: IRGC's chief commander
- Trump’s administration conflicting messages to Iran baffle go-betweens: Report
- Gibraltar releases Iran-operated tanker despite US pressure
Tehran, YJC. Zibakalam says that as Rouhani has not held a special position in the past 8 years, he cannot really be called a Principalist.
Speaking in an interview with Mosalas, Sadeq Zibakalam, Professor at the University of Tehran and pro-Reform analyst, said "One must not call Mr. Rouhani a Principalist. The reality is that in the past 8 years he has been a nobody.”
"But the Principalists did everything in the past 8 years. They had the executive and legislative branches, the IRIB, and other state organizations, therefore one must not consider Rouhani a Principalist as one interprets people’s dissatisfaction with the Principalist record,” he further said.
Zibakalam,
who used to believe that Rouhani would not win in the first contest, said that détente
with the US and EU, reconsideration of approaches to nuclear talks, and attempt
to move away from a state-bound economy will be among the principal strategies
of the Rouhani administration.
He added "The disqualification of Mr. Hashemi created a set of latently dissatisfied opinions which were canalized after his endorsement of Mr. Rouhani.”
Zibakalam believed that messages addressed to Khatami directly or otherwise, threatening him of disqualification if he ran for presidency, also mobilized a great portion of Reformist votes towards Rouhani.
He believed that favorable regards of Rouhani by scholars and state-independent, Reform-friendly experts; as well as Aref’s resignation made Rouhani the sole representative of Reformists in the contests.
"Even
if Mr. Rouhani and the Reformists would not like to make any changes, the Principalists
themselves must look for change if they do not want things to get any worse. They
themselves must make a move towards freedom of the press and other sorts of
civil freedom, and look up a discourse that would not so much imply enmity with
others. Of course it is up to Principalists whether or not to take lessons from
this defeat.”
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