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The governor of Iran’s central bank was sacked after the government said his candidacy for next month’s presidential election was interfering with his official duties.
President Hassan Rouhani’s cabinet decided that Abdolnaser Hemmati’s presence in the June 18 poll could “prevent him from being present enough at the central bank,” local media reported on Sunday.
Hemmati had refused to step down. Akbar Komijani, one of his deputies, has taken over as head of the central bank.
Hemmati, 64, is a technocrat who has held senior economic positions in Iran for decades without becoming a well-known name. He has become the favored candidate of some reformist groups after removing well-known names from the race, such as Es’haq Jahangiri, the first vice president, and Ali Larijani, a former centrist parliamentary speaker.
Despite his withdrawal from the central bank, analysts say Hemmati could challenge the head of the hard line and the head of the judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi.
Hemmati has positioned himself as a pragmatist focused on the economy and someone who can reactivate the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and help lift the crippling US sanctions.
“The sudden appearance of Hemmati and an unexpected increase in his votes have disturbed the leaders,” a reformist analyst said. “It is possible that many reformist groups will end up supporting him. The Iranians could back down against Raisi and elect Hemmati. “
Hemmati – whose motto is “interaction at home and abroad” – has distanced itself from the other six candidates and has cultivated a professional image rather than one motivated by ideology.
“Without a deal [with world powers] that sanctions be lifted. . . and without an agreement at home between the state and its citizens, people’s living conditions will not improve, ”he said.
Analysts say Raisi, who analysts suspect is the favorite candidate of the country’s rulers, is leading opinion polls. However, they point out that their support has not increased since they started their campaign last week.
This has raised the hopes of candidates like Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a member of the Revolutionary Guard who led the elite force for 16 years. He has promised a large increase in monthly cash distributions that reach almost half of the population and would pay monthly salaries to housewives.
Reformers are divided over whether to support Hemmati after senior officials, including former Interior Minister Mostafa Tajzadeh, said they would boycott the poll in protest of his disqualifications.
Mohammad Hashemi, brother of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is believed to be trying to mobilize reformists to support Hemmati.
“Hemmati is the pro-Rafsanjani camp candidate,” another reformist politician said. “His fate depends on how he can handle the televised debates against Raisi.”
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