Rowhani’s stance on Iran’s domestic and foreign policy

Iran’s president-elect Hassan Rowhani’s stances on a variety of issues have resonated with voters. Following are statements he made on several key issues while on the campaign trail:

Women

“Discrimination against women will not be tolerated.”

Nuclear issue

Iran info-graph (Al Arabiya)

“We will stand firm to get our nuclear rights recognised as we do for sanctions to be lifted. We need nuclear energy for the nation’s progress and my government will ensure this right is recognized at the lowest cost.”

Iran-U.S. relations

“The U.S. is a world reality which no one can ignore. It is a superpower and the world’s first economy, military and scientific power.”

“We will first convert existing hostile relations to a one-on-one relationship but with tensions, and in the second phase we will gradually decrease tensions. It is then that one can think of other phases in relations.”

The economy

“I have come forward to save Iran’s economy and forge a constructive interaction with the world through a government of wisdom and hope.”

“This administration (of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) made fun of sanctions, deriding them as scrap paper, while we could have avoided them or to some extent reduced them.”

Unemployment

“There are 3.5 million people unemployed in Iran, of whom 867,000 are university graduates. We have to concentrate on national production and technology development. We will invest in small businesses that do not require much capital.”

Political affiliation

“Personally, I believe that the majority of the people seek moderation and rationality. In all of my political career I have had very good relations with the moderates of both political factions, reformists and conservatives. I believe the majority of our society is comprised of moderates.”