The first debate between the two candidates for the second round of Iran’s 14th presidential election was held on Monday, July 1. The debate saw reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian face off against Saeed Jalili, who secured 9.4 million votes in the first round, according to official statistics. Pezeshkian, who received 10.4 million votes, challenged Jalili on several key issues, including the country’s economic growth, internet censorship, and public protests.
A Challenging Debate
Unlike the group debates of the first round, this debate allowed the two candidates to challenge each other directly. Topics ranged from oil sanctions and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to the country’s foreign policy, internet censorship, public protests, labour unions, and various aspects of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s rule.
The debate’s foreign policy segment echoed previous debates between Jalili and Hassan Rouhani in the 2012 elections. The candidates emphasised resolving political and security issues with Western countries on one hand, and “resisting coercion at any cost” on the other.
Internet Censorship and Public Protests
A key point of contention was internet censorship and the shutdown of the internet during public protests. Jalili compared internet censorship to traffic laws on highways, while Pezeshkian subtly suggested he had no objections to internet shutdowns during protests. He explained his policy as reducing people’s internet and cyberspace restrictions before and after protests.
Pezeshkian, the reformist candidate, said he sees the limitation and smart filtering of messaging apps not as a governmental duty, but as a responsibility of the private sector and internet providers. He suggested these issues should be resolved through negotiations with foreign parties, drawing parallels with China’s approach to smart filtering on certain social media platforms and search engines like YouTube and Google.
Why Did 60% of People Not Participate?
The debate also addressed the low voter turnout in the Islamic Republic’s electoral processes. On June 28, only about 39% of eligible voters participated in Iran’s presidential election. Both Jalili and Pezeshkian offered their interpretations of this significant drop in voter participation.
Pezeshkian blamed the low turnout on attacks on women, various internet restrictions, and the poor economic situation. Jalili, on the other hand, argued that public participation in public arenas has been one of the “honours of the Islamic Republic”, and the reason for the low turnout was the failure of previous officials to keep their promises.
Foreign Policy and “Supreme Leader’s Measures”
The debate returned to the candidates’ differing approaches to foreign policy. Pezeshkian criticised Jalili for lacking a plan to lift sanctions, implement the JCPOA, and normalise banking relations with the world. He also pointed out Jalili’s lack of executive experience. Jalili retorted that Pezeshkian’s worldview was limited to a few Western countries, ignoring the other 200 countries in the world.
Both candidates were careful not to say anything that might upset Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian repeatedly stated that Khamenei determines the general lines of foreign policy based on the three principles of dignity, expediency, and wisdom. Any problems, he argued, were due to the implementers who failed to execute the Supreme Leader’s measures.
A Brief Mention of Labour Protests
Jalili mentioned the “voice of the workers” in the first debate. He referred to workers from Hepco in Arak, Tabriz Machine Manufacturing, and Haft Tappeh, and criticised Pezeshkian for not addressing their concerns. Pezeshkian reminded Jalili of the suppression of labour protests, to which Jalili responded that workers’ problems cannot be solved from the street. Pezeshkian retorted that if their problems had been solved, they wouldn’t have taken to the streets.
The two candidates are scheduled to hold their second and final televised debate before the voting day on Tuesday, July 2.
This is a summary of original Radio Zamaneh content crafted with the help of AI, edited by a Radio Zamaneh editor. To read the original article, click here.
