Voters in Iran focus on the economy

Mar 14, 2008, 12:46 GMT

Tehran - The main attention of Iranians in Friday's parliamentary elections was focused on the economy and their votes were likely to go to those deputies whom they consider capable of controlling inflation.

'I vote for those deputies who can sew the hole in my pocket - whatever money I put in it is gone like a wind,' said Mashallah T, a 44-year-old civil servant from Tehran who is married with three children.

Despite rising oil prices, inflation has increased since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency in August 2005 and currently stands at 20 to 30 per cent, and in real estate up to 70 per cent.

'Someone has to stop this inflation, otherwise going to the supermarket, butcher, fruit shop will become an unaffordable luxury for us,' added Mashallah who voted, together with his wife, at a mosque in northern Tehran.

The economic crisis in Iran has even turned conservative factions, which used to be fully behind Ahmadinejad, into being more critical towards the president who is blamed for not taking experts' opinions in his economic planning.

Currently only the ultra-conservative faction, headed by Parliament Speaker Gholam-Ali Hadad Adel, has declared its full support for the president.

The so-called 'revisionists,' former backers of Ahmadinejad, have formed a new faction headed by Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, whose disagreements with the president led to his resignation last October. Larijani is also highly critical of Ahmadinejad's economic policies.

'When the oil price was ten dollars per barrel, inflation was far less than now when oil is reaching the 100 dollar price range. What kind of social justice and economic management is this?' asked reformist candidate Ishaq Jahangiri.

Hassan, a taxi-driver from Tehran, blamed the government for paying too much attention to politics, thereby neglecting the economy and people's daily problems.

'Not the United States is our enemy, but those Bazaari circles who just take every occasion to increase the prices. This Mr President of ours should take care of these bloodsuckers rather than provoking (US President George W) Bush,' he said.

Ahmadinejad, his government and the factions close to the president prior to the elections constantly called on the people via state television to go to the polls to 'disappoint the enemy,' a reference to the US which Tehran calls the 'Great Satan' and an enemy of Islam and Moslems worldwide.

As the elections this time are held just one week before the Persian New Year Noruz (New Day) on March 21, many Iranians were expected to be more involved with New Year shopping and preparations than going to the polls.

'I have to clean the house, make shopping for the (two-week) holidays and buy the kids new clothes. I have no time to go voting. If the gentlemen (statesmen) do not celebrate Noruz, others do,' said an Iranian housewife shopping in a supermarket in northern Tehran.

While some Iranians demonstrate their protest at Ahmadinejad's policies by boycotting the elections, others consider a boycott the wrong way.

'They boycotted the presidential elections and look what happened - Ahmadinejad came. If they boycott again this time, God knows what will happen. We should avail ourselves of the minimum of democratic chances we have,' said Helieh, a 31-year-old engineer from Tehran.

Helieh will vote for reformists close to former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, as she believes that decreasing tensions with the West would automatically improve the economic situation as well and prevent further economic sanctions against the Islamic state.

Khatami and Rafsanjani especially hope for the votes of the 'silent majority' and believe that a low turnout would just help the pro-Ahmadinejad faction.

'If you do not vote, then those whom you do not want will get into the parliament again,' said Rafsanjani.

'If you keep your voice just for yourself, nothing will ever change,' added Khatami.