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Rouhani’s referendum proposal causes stir in Iran

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has proposed direct referendums to sidestep the parliament and resolve key issues in the country.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is surrounded by security while commuting to meetings on the sidelines of the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, September 25, 2014. Rouhani blamed the rise of violent extremism on "certain states" and on unidentified "intelligence agencies" and said it was up to the region to find a solution to the problem. REUTERS/Adrees Latif  (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR47PL1
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Unable to outmaneuver the elected and unelected conservative officials to implement economic and social reforms, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has suggested direct referendums to resolve key issues. His proposal has garnered strong reactions from a number of Iranian conservatives and prompted various analyses over social media.

At a Jan. 4 economic conference in Tehran, Rouhani said, “Until when should our economy subsidize our policies? It subsidies both our foreign and domestic policies. Let’s reverse this relationship for one decade. Let’s have our foreign policy subsidize our economy, and let's see what happens to the people, their livelihood and the employment of their youth. Let’s ask the people. ”

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