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Reformist editor: No one pledged ‘allegiance’ to Rouhani

An op-ed by an Iranian Reformist editor says that President Hassan Rouhani, despite his winning the 2013 presidential election, does not have people's automatic support, in contrast with previous elections.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani gives a news conference on the sidelines of the 69th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York September 26, 2014. Rouhani said on Friday "courageous decisions" must be made to clinch a long-term nuclear agreement and that any deal without the lifting of all sanctions against Tehran was "unacceptable".  REUTERS/Adrees Latif   (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR47VNA
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The absence of formal political parties in Iran means that most political currents or movements rely heavily on charismatic political leaders who can capture the electorate's imagination. Ofttimes, these leaders, despite their shortcomings, can count on a solid base of voters during elections. But Hassan Rouhani's election as president presented a shift in this dynamic, Ahmad Gholami wrote in Shargh Daily, one of Iran’s most prominent Reformist newspapers.

In an op-ed piece titled, “A vote is just a vote, it’s not allegiance,” Gholami used the religiously charged “bayah” for allegiance, which literally means “oath of allegiance to a leader.” 

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