Aftermath of the Election: Horizons for Improvement

Each candidate, one orientation

Gist of the Presidency: How different can it be after the election?

One of the favorite subjects of the people and the domestic and foreign media and even our foreign friends, rivals and enemies is the foreign policy position of the future president and what specific policy he will pursue; at this stage, we should not forget a few points. First, the country’s macro policies in the field of foreign policy are formulated in the Supreme National Security Council according to Article 176, and according to this principle, it must be approved by the Supreme Leader. The members of the Supreme Council also include the heads of the three powers, 3 ministers of the interior, information and foreign affairs along with the head of the program and budget organization, two representatives of the leadership and the chief of the general staff of the armed forces, whose qualifications must be approved by the Supreme Leader. The meaning of this word “on paper” is that the foreign policy of the country is ultimately approved by the leadership of the system, and the supreme governing bodies, namely the Supreme National Security Council, are tools of advice and assistance to the leadership. It is on this basis that we state that the basic and macro policies of the country in the international field do not undergo fundamental changes with the change of governments and therefore are permanent. These fundamental policies, such as supporting the axis of resistance or being close to neighbors or de-escalation with distant countries, which have always been defined in the military doctrine of the Islamic Republic, are policies that almost all governments have adhered to. But the question is, what role can the president and the government play in this area? First, the president is present in the Supreme National Security Council along with 4 members of the cabinet, and they make up at least half of the members, and with this tool, they can play an important role in decision-making.

Also, the country’s budget is at the disposal of the government and it can use it according to its wishes within the framework of the basic policies of the system. Every government can have specific plans and solutions to achieve the goals of the country’s foreign policy. In this regard, the governments are more open to maneuver and can use the tactics and people they think are the most suitable to achieve their goals. Governments can give strength to their foreign negotiations in various fields with the support of public opinion and their justification, and if this support is weak, it will have negative effects, the people’s trust in their government foreign policy and the diplomatic infrastructures is one of the ultimate sources of power for countries to navigate their foreign policy; and the best place to show this trust is in elections. From what has been said, it can be concluded that whether Masoud Pezeshkian is the president on Saturday or Saeed Jalili, we will not have a radical change in the macro policies of the country in various areas, especially the region, neighbors and sanctions. In fact, although the principles governing Iran’s foreign policy are beyond governments, the tactics of implementing those policies are the responsibility of the president and his government, from the point of view that the results of the July 6th elections become relevant in the international arena.

Author: Ellias Aghili Dehnavi