Tehran, YJC. Lawmaker says that coming from the clergy and being endorsed by Hashemi and Khatami helped Rouhani greatly in the elections.
Lawmaker
Qolamreza Mesbahi Moqaddam says that both the support by Hashemi and Khatami
and the fact that Rouhani is a clergy helped him to power.
Mesbahi
said "First, Rouhani received votes because of the support he received from
Ayatollah Hashemi and Mohammad Khatami. Second, his being a clergyman was
pivotal to his election.”
He added
"In the past eight years some would say that the previous administrations
presided by a clergy had been more appealing to them than the Ahmadinejad administration.
This was a turn back to a clergy in whom a lot of people could put their trust.
As far as I know many prayer leaders and preachers voted for Hassan Rouhani.”
He added
that the Principalists were too much proud of themselves to think that the
Reformists have lost everything.
"Ayatollah
Hashemi Rafsanjani’s faith in Rouhani was also important. With Ahmadinejad’s
performance publicity grew over Ayatollah Rafsanjani. His disqualification also
created a sense that he was wronged, which in turn increased his popularity.
Mr. Khatami’s opinion was also important for the Reform fans,” he further
pointed.