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Al-monitor – In April, when the experienced reformist politician Mostafa Moein said, “I believe Mr. Rouhani needs a very strong think tank” to advise him on all issues, it did not stir up much reaction in the domestic media. However, now that Iran’s presidential election is only seven months away, the setting up of a reformist think tank might be viewed as the reformist faction’s believing it is closing in on winning the presidency again.
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Misha Zand
The pro-reform Arman Daily’s interview with Moein, published Oct. 6 with the headline “Reformists within Rouhani’s think tank,” announced the unofficial think tank and said “the president is much too busy to set up an official think tank.”
Moein is well-known within reformist circles as he served as culture minister during Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s presidency (1989-1997) and as culture minister and then science minister during the presidency of reformist Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005). Moein, who is today one of Rouhani’s advisers, said, “Rouhani’s chief rival is his own performance, and we hope that in the final months the 11th government [Rouhani’s administration] can benefit more from opportunities.”
The Arman article says the conservative hard-line faction in Iran, better known as the Worried group, is trying to pull Rouhani toward its views to damage his popularity. “[Even] without an official decree, the reformists regard it as their duty to give advice to Rouhani and to offer their views, [while] the Worried [group] is well aware of this.”
“The Worried group” is an expression that stuck to the critics of the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action agreement, which Iran signed with the world powers in July 2015 in an attempt to get economic sanctions relaxed.
Directly inviting and including advisers from the reformist camp into the government’s inner circles is still considered a sensitive topic in Tehran. In 2009, following the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, many prominent reformists openly supported the public demonstrations against his re-election that resulted in mass arrests and deaths.
However, seven years later, the reformist camp members believe its inclusion as advisers in an unofficial think tank can strengthen Rouhani’s position in the final months before the May 19 presidential election.
Asked about the reformist camp’s expectations of Rouhani’s government, Moein — a leading researcher in the field of pediatric immunology — listed several issues such as “strengthening academic independence and freedom,” attracting the well-educated who have emigrated and “advancement toward more political freedom.” However, he did not explain how these expectations are supposed to be carried out. Moein added to the list: “A more efficient and responsive government that can create a better order in the country’s economic state more quickly,” particularly in regard to economic depression and unemployment. He also called for a continuation of the current foreign policy.
