2013
JF-Expert Member
- Aug 2, 2011
- 11,365
- 6,086
Eight months after taking office, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has suffered his first major political defeat, with the public overwhelmingly brushing aside appeals to forgo direct government aid.
But the government's attempt to convince people to refuse direct aid appeared to overlook this audience, employing only state media and targeting its viewers, who generally belong to the lower-income classes who most need the cash handouts."The inefficient campaign backfired and had adverse impact
The coming months are crucial for Rouhani as he implements the phased-out subsidy cuts. Friday's petrol price hikes are expected to feed inflation, at least temporarily, analysts say.
Iran's nuclear negotiators will also engage in what could be final rounds of talks with world powers aimed at striking a lasting deal that would lift economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on the Islamic republic's atomic drive.
But the government's attempt to convince people to refuse direct aid appeared to overlook this audience, employing only state media and targeting its viewers, who generally belong to the lower-income classes who most need the cash handouts."The inefficient campaign backfired and had adverse impact
The coming months are crucial for Rouhani as he implements the phased-out subsidy cuts. Friday's petrol price hikes are expected to feed inflation, at least temporarily, analysts say.
Iran's nuclear negotiators will also engage in what could be final rounds of talks with world powers aimed at striking a lasting deal that would lift economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on the Islamic republic's atomic drive.