Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the Iranian people's top pick for the role of the country's president, a new poll by the Iran Wire news site has found.
At 37%, over one-third of respondents aged 18 and over said they wanted to see Ahmadinejad return to the presidency, compared to the 10% who named conservative politician Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as their first choice for the job.
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The poll's findings reflect the Iranian public's disillusion with the reformist movement, whose supporters have largely given up hope they will be able to replace the ayatollah regime through elections and no longer vote. Although turnout was particularly, the conservatives won parliamentary elections held in February with a large majority.
Around 48% of the 1,000 people surveyed said they were unhappy with current Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's performance, and 16% said they were very unhappy. Considered something of a compromise pick by the reformist camp, Rouhani has been criticized by both camps for his handling of the country's economic situation.
Elected in 2009, Ahmadinejad is considered the country's most radical president to date. Known for his frequent threats against Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric, the former president managed to anger progressive US circles when, at an event at Columbia University, he claimed there were no gay people in Iran.
Nevertheless, Ahmadinejad is seen as a humble politician who supports the lower classes in Iranian society and fights corruption.
Iran is set to go to elections in June, and it is not yet clear who will be allowed to run for office. In 2017, Ahmadinejad's candidacy was disqualified by the country's election council, which is subject to the will of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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