Iranian President Hassan Rohani says it is time to implement the constitutional provision for referendums on economic, social, political and cultural matters.
At the Iranian Economy Conference, Rohani said: “For once, we need to put a matter of importance that affects everyone’s lives to a referendum.”
Rather than calling on Parliament to vote on such a matter, it should be put directly to a referendum, according to President Rohani.
Rohani did not refer to any specific issue that he would put to a referendum but he stressed that the economy needs to be a focus, because the Iranian economy is tightly tied to both international and domestic politics.
Rohani wrote in his memoirs that in 2004, when he was serving as the head of the National Security Supreme Council, he suggested putting the nuclear program to a nationwide referendum so that the people would be involved in the decision to commence uranium enrichment, given the possible consequences.
In 1989, the establishment of the Islamic Republic was put to a referendum. Later that year, another referendum was used to gain approval for the constitution. Ten years later, a referendum was used once again to make amendments to the constitution.
