Pundit: Broken promises could doom Pezeshkian's national reconciliation

A prominent commentator in Tehran says President Masoud Pezeshkian's idea of national reconciliation is doomed to fail if he does not stand by his election promises on the economy and more freedoms.

In a commentary in Etemad newspaper, Abbas Abdi wrote: "There is no turnkey solution for the country's problems. If the President cannot bring about any improvement in the areas of Internet restrictions, women's freedom, foreign relations, and the way the state television operates, his national reconciliation will fail."

Pezeshkian’s slogan of reconciliation is largely interpreted as a call for cooperation among political factions within the Islamic government, rather than a true national reconciliation that would involve giving the public a greater voice in governance or addressing their demands.

"It’s not like flipping a switch to turn the lights on and off," Abdi said regarding the idea of a quick fix for the deep-rooted public alienation from the government. He added that if Pezeshkian’s promises to the people are not fulfilled, even the reconciliation among factions within the establishment will quickly unravel.

Abdi reiterated his post-election message to Pezeshkian: "The election is ongoing every day. The ballot boxes remain open in communal centers across cities and villages. Anyone who voted can retract their vote, and those who abstained can now cast theirs. Votes are not just pieces of paper; they embody the free will of the people. What drives the nation to decide how to act with these open ballot boxes is the government's official policies."

The reform-minded commentator added that the people have different ideas about how quickly they expect the promises to be met. At the same time, those who have refused to vote perhaps like to justify their political act by proving that Pezeshkian has failed.

Abdi also pointed out the oddity that even the government seems to overlook Pezeshkian's slogans and approach, despite his emphasis on "reconciliation." For the public, reconciliation is not the end goal but merely a step toward addressing pressing issues like improving the economy, curbing inflation, ensuring access to essential goods and services, lifting internet censorship, addressing women's concerns, and removing sanctions, among other challenges.

But Pezeshkian has given up everything in the interest of trying to bring about a reconciliation between various political groups. Some have even questioned his idea of reconciliation following his meeting with the ultraconservative Paydari party, that was perceived by reformists as tantamount to an undeclared coalition with his political opponents.

On Monday, ITC Minister Sattar Hashemi dismissed the idea of eliminating internet filtering or providing equal access, instead proposing "smart management of the Internet." In response, pro-reform website Fararu questioned the administration's resistance to pressures, including those on internet restrictions, and asked, "What happened to Pezeshkian's promises for change, including in internet access?"

During the June presidential election, Iranian poet and influencer Hossein Jannati said he would vote for Pezeshkian only if his advisers, former foreign minister Javad Zarif and former ITC minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, guaranteed the end of the Morality Police and social media filtering, and promised to inform the public if the president faced pressure to oppose the people's will. Both ministers, along with Pezeshkian, gave their assurances.

Pezeshkian wrote in an X post on 30 June: "I guarantee that the entire administration will wholeheartedly stand against compulsory patrols, filtering, the filter-breaking trade and all other pressures from outside the administration in all of their meetings."

However, these were not the only promises made by Pezeshkian before, during and after the election. Tasnim News Agency listed 14 of his promises.

Interestingly, the IRGC-linked Tasnim's list does not include controversial social and cultural problems such as Internet access and women's issue. The two matters are not even included in reformist Etemad daily's list of 6 of Pezeshkian's promises! An indication that both hardliners and reformists prefer to turn a blind eye on these problems.