Is Iranian economy weighing Rouhani down?
Polls show the Iranian president’s voter base is broadening in the aftermath of the country’s parliamentary elections, but that he also faces immense challenges related to the state of the Iranian economy.
New opinion polls show Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to be in a strong position following the country’s Feb. 26 parliamentary elections. Among respondents, 81% of pro-Reformist voters and 61% of voters who cast ballots for independents said they voted for pro-Rouhani candidates. What is particularly noteworthy, however, is the broadening of the president’s base. Even among those who voted for the Principlists, half said they selected pro-Rouhani hopefuls. In all, 63% of those surveyed voted for candidates who support the administration, while just 22% voted for Rouhani critics.
The polling results are based on telephone interviews conducted Feb. 15-24 and March 3-13 among representative samples of 1,016 and 1,005 Iranians, respectively, with a margin of error for both polls of +/-3.2%. IranPoll.com, an independent Toronto-based organization, conducted both surveys for the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM).
