| Author (Person) | Geranmayeh, Ellie |
|---|---|
| Publisher | European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) |
| Series Title | Commentary |
| Series Details | 23.02.16 |
| Publication Date | 23/02/2016 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog, News |
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On the 26 February 2016 Iran held elections for its Parliament and Assembly of Experts. This marked the first time Iranians go to the polls since the start of President Hassan Rouhani’s tenure in 2013. Both the process surrounding these elections and its outcome served as a litmus test for the balance that could be expected amongst Iran’s power centres. What has emerged in the run-up to these elections is an alignment between the reformists, centrists and some moderate conservatives to push back against a major victory by hardliners who were empowered under former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The primary objective of this new alignment was not to deliver sweeping changes to Iranian domestic or foreign policies. Rather it was a bid to dilute the existing hardline grip on power in order to allow more space for the Rouhani administration to advance its economic priorities and at best make incremental progress on political reforms. |
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| Source Link | http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_irans_elections_a_bid_to_dilute_hardliners_6010 |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Middle East |
