Government’s open arms, waiting for a handshake
In line with his national government’s slogan, “the unity government,” President Masoud Pezeshkian has met with several political parties and groups. During these meetings, he has emphasized the necessity of working together to resolve the country’s issues. Unlike previous periods, it appears that this time the electoral rivalries have ceased with the establishment of the new government. Both the president’s supporters and opponents have set aside their electoral rhetoric. The government is now focused on addressing the needs of the people, and critics have also expressed their willingness to cooperate with the administration.
Pezeshkian’s focus on establishing a national unity government and actualizing it through the formation of the cabinet and other governmental bodies, including governors and general-governors, along with his insistence on ending pointless political disputes, has been positively received by his electoral opponents. Currently, no significant tension is evident between political factions. The significance of this matter becomes even clearer when we consider that in previous periods, electoral rivalries often persisted, with winners and losers continuing to engage with the rhetoric characteristic of the electoral rivalry phase.
The current government emerged amid escalating regional tensions, marked by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. This period also saw the intensification of the war in Lebanon, the assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s General Nilforushan in a Beirut suburb, along with military operations between Iran and Israel. During this time, Pezeshkian traveled to Iraq, Qatar, Turkmenistan, Russia’s Kazan (for the BRICS summit), and New York (to attend the UN General Assembly).
Despite these pressing concerns and numerous challenges, the president has not overlooked the significance of engaging with political currents to bridge differing perspectives.
Pezeshkian has met with various political factions, including the Reform Front, the Islamic Coalition Party, and the Stability Front of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, as well as with political activists in Mashhad, since the formation of his cabinet on August 21. During these meetings, he has listened to the viewpoints of political parties and groups, clarified the country’s situation to them, and expressed his criticisms of their performance.
Talks with Conservatives
The Islamic Coalition Party, a traditional right-wing party, supported Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in the first round of the 2024 presidential election and Saeed Jalili in the second round. However, following Pezeshkian’s victory, this traditional conservative faction emphasized its commitment to supporting the newly-elected government.
Pezeshkian recently met with senior members of the Islamic Coalition Party, where he emphasized the necessity for national and religious consensus, leveraging the talents of all capable individuals, irrespective of partisan, ethnic, or gender perspectives. He also addressed issues such as budget deficits, various unprecedented challenges, particularly in the energy sector, and crises instigated by Israel in the region.
During the meeting, the party members discussed major economic issues, livelihood, inflation, currency, housing, dealing with nurses’ issues, and cultural issues, according to the secretary-general of the party. Asadollah Badamchian has stated, “ The president, in this meeting, was in favor of continuous communication with the party. The Islamic Coalition Party will fulfill its duty in supporting the government. Our meeting was not for seeking power or position, we have always accompanied all governments, never imposed anything on any government but cooperated with all of them, in general look at the fact that even the party’s criticism of the government is a fair critique.”
Reformists’ appreciation, criticism
The president has had at least two meetings with the members of the Reform Front’s presidium, who were his number-one supporters during the presidential election. In his recent meeting with the Reform Front, which was reported on November 8, he touched upon various issues, including the country’s economic problems, efforts to create consensus and unity, the selection of governors, the status of pension funds, energy and banking imbalances, the government’s foreign policy, problems in the country’s educational system, the need to reform the governance system, and the importance of civil society institutions becoming more active.
According to Mohammad Salari, the Reform Front members also discussed the theoretical foundations and practical necessity of achieving consensus, increasing unity between the people, critics, and dissidents with the government, and reducing the gap between the government and the people. They emphasized the need for the president to continue his trust-building approach and deepen it in relation to the system’s institutions, the necessity of a development-oriented foreign policy, and the importance of diplomacy and dialogue in international and regional relations based on national interests. They exchanged views on various aspects of good governance, stressed the need to strengthen civil society, political organizations, parties, guilds, and reference groups, create security for investment and investors, and emphasized the need to fundamentally combat corruption. They also discussed the legacy of imbalances inherited by the government.
The Reform Front thanked the president for his efforts to lift sanctions, respect for people’s privacy, involving minorities, women, and youth in the country’s administration, lifting Internet filtering, and addressing the issue of hijab. They also appreciated his efforts to bring up the country’s problems with the people.
However, the reformists also expressed their criticisms during the meeting. Javad Emam, the spokesperson for the Reform Front, noted, “We told the president that we fully understand the problems and limitations you faced in selecting your government colleagues, but unfortunately, these limitations, as well as the lack of more suitable choices, have resulted in a cabinet that is not entirely cohesive and strong. We reminded the president that it was expected that this shortcoming in the cabinet would be compensated for by selecting governors from among experienced and suitable managers who are in line with your goals. You are better aware that our intention is not necessarily to select your colleagues from among reformists, but rather the criteria for appointments should be ability, conviction, and loyalty to your views, as well as integrity and honesty. At the same time, it is unacceptable that some individuals, despite having these qualities, are eliminated solely due to their reformist leanings.”
Hosting electoral rival
The Front of Islamic Revolution Stability, with Saeed Jalili its presidential nominee, was a fierce rival of Pezeshkian during the election period. However, the intense competition of the past few months did not prevent the party from meeting with the president.
Pezeshkian, during a meeting with the party members, emphasized the importance of unity and cohesion, as well as the need to engage segments of society that are dissatisfied and harbor grievances.
He also talked about issues such as injustice in the healthcare, economic, and education systems, avoiding harsh and incorrect approaches to social issues, and the need for dignified and respectful behavior towards the people.
The members of the front also expressed their appreciation for the president’s decisive stances on reforming ambiguous and challenging positions during his trip to New York, supporting the Resistance Axis in response to US and Zionist regime threats.
According to Majid Motaqifar, the spokesperson for the faction, during the meeting, they discussed the need for a clear definition of “national unity”, adherence to the law in government appointments, the importance of addressing economic issues, exchange rates, preventing instability in the stock market, prioritizing national production over dollar, currency, and gold dealings, a principled approach to the issue of hijab and proper implementation of the law, and social issues. During the meeting, it was emphasized that the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability views the government’s success as synonymous with the success of the Islamic Revolution, and supporting the government is deemed a duty.
Meeting with political figures in Mashhad
Pezeshkian has also met with a group of political activists from Khorasan Razavi Province in September, where he said, “Let’s start the reform process from ourselves, and if we find ourselves in a situation where we are not worthy of our position, let’s step aside.”
Referring to the concerns and demands raised by the participants during the meeting, he stated, “While I hold the position of president, I am one of you, and I cannot work miracles. We can only overcome our challenges if we all join hands and collaborate.”
The president emphasized, “While it is challenging and complex to treat everyone fairly and in accordance with the law, we must unite and act on the profound conviction that we have no alternative but to build our country and address its issues together. If we believe that Iran belongs to all Iranians, we must join hands and construct it for the benefit of all Iranians.”
National unity: Missing link in management
The president’s ongoing approach, prioritizing national interests over group interests, combined with the government’s and political currents’ focus on societal concerns and demands, can provide a solution to the country’s challenges.
The more meetings that occur, the better political parties and groups will grasp the nation’s issues and the government’s initiatives. Similarly, the government will become more responsive to the concerns and demands of society, thus fostering a greater opportunity for consensus and tackling the nation’s problems.