With a principlist "consensus" candidate yet to emerge out of the 2+1 Coalition, Presidential candidates Saeed Jalili and Ali Akbar Velayati are competing for legitimacy as Iran's next head of government.
Both candidates, appearing on State television on Sunday night, focused on Iran's ailing economy as the most pressing project for the next administration.

Velayati attempted to present himself as an influential figure whose contacts as former Foreign Minister would allow him to organize payment of frozen currencies back into Iran's state coffers. However, he has attracted criticism for appearing to muddle figures during his televised interview.

In his address to the Iranian people, Jalili emphasized public participation and religion as key themes, as well as the economy.

Economy Watch: Governor Of Central Bank Says No Way To Curb Inflation

 

The governor of Iran's Central Bank has said that nothing more can be done to curb the country's rampant inflation.

"The [inflation] rate is very high. But, what can we do? We did our best to reduce the inflation, but that was all we could do," Mahmoud Bahmani said.

Last year, the Central Bank paid 1,956 billion rials in financial facilities, 31.7 percent of which was paid to the production and industry sector, he noted.

By Enduring America

 

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