He has been dead set on carrying out high-level policies like the macro policies declared by the Leader, the 20-year vision document and the seventh development plan as his main program. Of course, he insists that no initiative will see the light of day while disagreements and infighting persist among different parts of the system. Pezeshkian holds the view that even foreign relations and smoothing out controversies between Tehran and other nations hinge on addressing these domestic disputes. The 2015 Iran nuclear deal – with its lack of domestic consensus among the diverse political factions – is a perfect example of this.
A host of Iranian intellectuals and political experts stand behind Pezeshkian’s concern, asserting that so long as there’s no meeting of the minds on major national issues in Iran, making hard-hitting decisions will continue to be an uphill battle. They believe the president’s role should be to bring factions together through dialogue with power players, elites, and experts outside the government. Consequently, many are banking on Pezeshkian to step into the role of the president who fosters consensus, rallying other political factions to play ball with the government.
Page 2