President Hassan Rouhani of Iran Will Run for a Second Term
By REUTERSAPRIL 14, 2017
ANKARA, Turkey — Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, who helped end the country’s diplomatic
and economic isolation with a landmark nuclear deal with major powers, registered on Friday to seek a second four-year term in the May 19 election.
He has held several sensitive jobs in the Islamic republic of Iran, including representing
Ayatollah Khamenei for 25 years at the Supreme National Security Council.
Despite remaining faithful to Iran’s theocratic system, Mr. Rouhani has angered hard-liners with his calls
for improved relations with the West, more freedom of expression and an easing of strict Islamic rules.
"People will vote for him to prevent a hard-liner from winning the election." Born into a religious family in 1948, Mr. Rouhani, a Shiite cleric, played an active role in the opposition
that overthrew the shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, in 1979.
Some erstwhile supporters who had hoped for radical social changes under his presidency
are also critical, saying he has failed to stand up to Iran’s religious establishment.
Mr. Rouhani is also a member of the Expediency Council
and the Assembly of Experts, two influential advisory bodies in Iran’s multitiered power structure.
