Rafsanjani’s Demise Leaves Massive Void among Reformists

“No one can embody moderation and reformism, while having a senior position in the ruling system to make way for others, as Ayatollah Rafsanjani did,” said Mohsen Rahami, an Iranian reformist politician.

He went on to say that he learned about Ayatollah Rafsanjani’s demise during a meeting about 2017 presidential elections.

“The moderate/reformist movement has recently lost some of its pillars, such as Ayatollah Rafsanjani,” he noted, according to a Farsi report by Khabar Online.

“His demise left a large void that can’t be easily filled,” he stressed. “We have valuable forces, but they can’t replace him. Now we, the reformists, should support one another more than ever; we should have more solidarity and care less about each other’s weak points.”

“Ayatollah Rafsanjani had the ability to co-ordinate all moderate and reformist movements,” Rahami noted, referring to the role Ayatollah Rafsanjani could play in 2017 elections.

“Nobody can replace him: it can be a serious threat to the solidarity of reformists in future. It causes us a grave concern, as the coalition can be shaken.”

“Actually none of other reformist leaders is in a position to hold consultation with senior figures of the ruling system,” he added. “We should be aware of this danger.”