The people of Iran have few good choices

Ahead of presidential elections in Iran tomorrow, polls show that the moderate incumbent Hassan Rouhani has a lead over the conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi, following the withdrawal of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the former mayor of Tehran, from the race.

The past few years have been a rocky ride for the Iranian electorate. When Mahmoud Ahmedinejad took office in 2005, his administration was plagued by widespread corruption that left the country in a precarious situation. Under his watch, Iran also focused on creating chaos in the region.

Mr Rouhani has earnestly worked to reverse years of isolation and restore Iran’s position in the international community since taking office in 2013, but he has failed to make any progress on domestic issues. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that Iranians complain about a lack of economic opportunity and is underlined by an unemployment rate that continues to rise ever upwards.

The easing of sanctions has reduced some hardships at least, without the benefits genuinely trickling down into society. While some in the international community hailed Mr Rouhani’s nuclear deal as opening a broader engagement with the world when it was concluded in 2015, the worst fears of the Gulf states have since been realised, as Tehran continued to stoke sectarian fires and cause chaos under what is, nominally at least, a moderate regime.

This is, then, an election of few options despite it being cast as a ballot between a so-called moderate and a hardliner.

Voters are caught between Mr Rouhani, a man who has failed to deliver on his promise to improve domestic conditions or to control the hardline factions within the political elite, and Mr Raisi, a candidate who presided over the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. Extraordinary though it may seem, turnout is expected to be high, although a large number of blank ballots will be cast in protest against the dearth of decent candidates.

However the wind blows on Friday, the choice of the Iranian people will probably entrench Tehran’s muddled and malignant world view – a matter that neither reflects positively on the country, nor improves its relations with the region.