RFERL:

In a rare meeting earlier this week with President Hassan Rouhani, members of his reformist political block criticized the president, demanding he intervene to end the house arrest of fellow reformists, create a more significant role for the vice president, and oversee better economic management.

“President Rouhani was reminded of the necessity of keeping his presidential campaign promises,” mid-ranking cleric and former Interior Minister Abdullah Nouri told Mehr News Agency (MNA) April 19. “The outcome of the meeting depends on Rouhani’s reaction. In other words, the ball is in Rouhani’s court. He is the one expected to respond positively to civil society’s demands.”

In addition to Nouri, in attendance at the meeting at Rouhani’s residence were former President Mohammad Khatami, current Vice President Ishaq Jahangiri, and former speaker of the parliament and the head of the Supreme Leader’s Inspection Office, Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri.

The group criticized Rouhani for Iran’s poor economic performance and called on him to tap Vice President Jahangiri’s managerial expertise to help improve the country’s economy. Jahangiri holds a PhD. in industrial management and is viewed by the reformists as an under-utilized resource in the Rouhani administration.

Rouhani was also taken to task for not doing more to end the house arrest of reformist politicians who challenged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential elections and protested his controversial victory in what became know as the Green Movement—five months of popular demonstrations that left several dead and hundreds arrested.

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