2017 Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf presidential campaign

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mayor of Tehran launched his third presidential campaign for the Iranian presidency on April 15, 2017. On 15 May 2017, Ghalibaf withdrew and endorsed Ebrahim Raisi.[2]

2017 Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf presidential campaign
Campaign2017 Presidential Election
CandidateMohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
Mayor of Tehran
AffiliationPopulation For Progress and Justice
StatusRegistered: 15 April 2017
Withdrew: 15 May 2017
HeadquartersTehran, Iran
Key peopleMohammad Dehghan (Chairman)[1]
Hossein Ghorbanzadeh (Political adviser)
Mahmoud Razavi (Media adviser)
Slogan
Actions speak [louder than words]. Persian: به عمل کار برآید
People's Government Persian: دولت مردم
Chant96% government Persian: دولت ۹۶ درصدی
Peace be upon to the man of action Persian: درود بر مرد عمل
Website
ghalibaf.ir/
hamyanesobh.com

Early stages

Mohammad Reza Mirtajodini said on 3 January 2017 that Ghalibaf “will run for presidential post only if all principlist groups concur on him”.[3] Answering to the question on 7 January 2017 whether he has any plan to run for president, Ghalibaf said “We have a duty to work. The place of it is not significant”.[4]

Ghalibaf issued a public statement presumed about not intending to run for office a third time. On April 10, Parviz Sorouri, former MP close to Ghalibaf, said that he has not conclusively stepped aside.[5]

Branding

In his previous campaigns, Ghalibaf has long tried to cultivate an image as a “man of action”,[6] “can-do manager”, and according to a leaked US cable, as a “pragmatic moderniser”.[7]

According to BBC, he is known as a "modern and snappy dresser with an eye for style. In past appearances on the campaign trail he has dressed in a leather jacket and a white pilot's uniform - designed to appeal to younger voters".[8] He has tried to showcase himself as symbol of the so-called “Jihadi management”.[6]

Ghalibaf's campaign has released a children's song for him.[9] His campaign symbol is "watch".[10]

Campaign strategy and tactics

Usage of Rabia sign
Ghalibaf's meeting (2017)

In 2013, Ghalibaf followed a three-part strategy: Showing himself loyal to the supreme leader, attacking his rivals and showcasing his image as a moderate politician.[11]

In 2017, it changed to portraying himself as the only conservative candidate while appealing as the representative of the poor class, and attracting the votes of the middle class. He divides the society to "the 96%" and “the 4% leeches”, who are violating the rights of the latter –loosely adopted from 99% coined by the Occupy movement and imitation of Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, 2016– while claiming to fight for the rights of the 96 percenters. He also tried to attract reformist voters with repeating Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s famous 2009 statement, however he seemingly used Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's tactic, i.e. showing a document on the air.[12] Following the events, some social media users cropped the hashtag #Qalicopy up to criticize Ghalibaf because of copying ideas of different political movements.[13]

Ghalibaf's populism is believed to be modeled on Donald Trump's presidential campaign.[14]

Media coverage

Ghalibaf controls his public relations team, active in social media and a cluster of press[15] including Hamshahri institute newspapers and magazines, and Farda and Shaffaf news websites.[16]

IRIB programmes[17]
Program title (Channel) Time File
With camera (IRIB1) 27 April 2017, 22:00–22:45
Debate (IRIB1) 28 April 2017, 16:00–19:00
Special conversation (IRIB2) 1 May 2017, 22:45–23:30
Recorded conversation (IRINN) 3 May 2017, 21:30–22:00
Debate (IRIB1) 5 May 2017, 16:00–19:00
Reply Iranian abroad (JJ1) 7 May 2017, 00:30–01:30
Documentary (IRIB1) 8 May 2017,18:30–19:00'
Reply Experts (IRIB4) 9 May 2017, 18:00–19:00
Debate (IRIB1) 12 May 2017, 16:00–19:00
Documentary (IRIB1) 13 May 2017,22:00–22:30'
Special conversation (IRIB2) 13 May 2017, 22:45–23:30
Reply Iranian abroad (JJ1) 14 May 2017, 00:30–01:30
Recorded conversation (IRINN) 15 May 2017, 21:30–22:004
Reply Youths (IRIB3) 17 May 2017, 23:30–00:30 (Cancelled)

Provincial visits

Ghalibaf speaking at Sari
ProvinceDateRef
Kermanshah20 April[18]
Ilam21 April[19]
Mazandaran23 April[20]
Qom24 April[21]
Lorestan8 May[22]
Khuzestan9 May[23]
Fars14 May
Isfahan14 May[24]

Political positions

Economic

Ghalibaf made a promise that he would create “five million jobs” and more than double national income. He said that he would change Iran's tax system and “implement a comprehensive and detailed plan for solving the urgent problems of low-income people”.[25]

Foreign relations

Ghalibaf has said that he will establish "Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic". He said that diplomacy must be in the service of the economy.[10]

Endorsements

Parties

Media

  • Fardanews website[27]
  • Afkarnews
  • Sobhe No

Individual

References

  1. "Dehghan Became Head of Ghalibaf's Campaign". ISNA (in Persian). 23 April 2017.
  2. "Tehran mayor Ghalibaf withdraws candidacy in Iran's presidential candidacy". Tehran Times. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  3. "'Qalibaf would run for president only if all principlists agree on him'", Tehran Times, 3 January 2017, retrieved 3 January 2017
  4. "Qalibaf: Municipality, presidential office same to me", Tehran Times (12738), p. 2, 7 January 2017, retrieved 7 January 2017
  5. Rohollah Faghihi (11 April 2017), "Iranian conservative coalition at risk of collapse", Al-Monitor
  6. Garrett Nada (12 June 2013), "Campaign Posters Capture Rivalries", The Iran Primer, retrieved 25 April 2017
  7. "Profiles: Iran's presidential candidates", Al Jazeera, 21 June 2013, retrieved 25 April 2017
  8. Amir Azimi (21 April 2017), "Iran election: The six men running for president", BBC, retrieved 25 April 2017
  9. "Children's Song and Music to Advertise Ghalibaf", Khabaronline, 19 April 2017, retrieved 25 April 2017
  10. "قالیباف: "وزارت خارجه و تجارت بین‌الملل" تشکیل می‌دهم/ نماد انتخاباتی‌ام "ساعت" است". 1 May 2017.
  11. Meir Javedanfar (31 May 2013), "Tehran Mayor a Powerful Contender for Iran's Presidency", Al-Monitor
  12. Rohollah Faghihi (30 April 2017), "Who was the winner of Iran's first presidential debate?", Al-Monitor, retrieved 1 May 2017
  13. Ladane Nasseri (7 May 2017), "Social Media Skirts Censors in Iran as Election Race Heats Up", Bloomberg, retrieved 7 May 2017
  14. Alex Vatanka (18 May 2017), "Rouhani Goes to War Against Iran's Deep State", Foreign Policy, retrieved 7 July 2017
  15. Shabnam von Hein (5 September 2016), "Iran: Who are the presidential candidates?", Deutsche Welle, retrieved 23 April 2017
  16. Rohollah Faghihi (5 September 2016), "Did Rouhani just nip Tehran mayor's presidential challenge in the bud?", Al-Monitor, retrieved 25 April 2017
  17. "Full Table of Presidential Candidates' Programmes in IRIB Announced". IRNA (in Persian). 24 April 2017.
  18. "Ghalibaf in Kermanshah: The Government Has no Good Record in Economy", Alef (in Persian), 20 April 2017, retrieved 25 April 2017
  19. "Ghalibaf in Ilam: Today's Security is Indebted to the Pure Blood of Martyres", Khabaronline (in Persian), 21 April 2017, retrieved 25 April 2017
  20. "Iran's presidential candidate Qalibaf wants no more of the same", Press TV, 24 April 2017, retrieved 25 April 2017
  21. "Ghalibaf at Qom", Tasnim, 24 April 2017, retrieved 25 April 2017
  22. دکتر محمدباقر قالیباف در اجتماع پرشور مردم خرم آباد: ما باید به جای حرف کار کنیم و به جای شعار عمل نماییم, 8 May 2017
  23. دکتر قالیباف در اجتماع پرشور مردم خوزستان در مسجدارشاد, 9 May 2017
  24. عکس: استقبال پرشور اصفهانی‌ها از قالیباف, 14 May 2017
  25. "Iran Daily: Presidential Campaigning Begins", EA Worldview, 19 April 2017, retrieved 25 April 2017
  26. "Will Ghalibaf Run Independent?", Donya-e Eqtesad (in Persian), 11 April 2017, retrieved 24 April 2017
  27. "15 Reasons to Vote for Ghalibaf", Fardanews (in Persian), 24 April 2017, retrieved 24 April 2017
  28. حمایت جمع كثيرى از پیشکسوتان ورزش از دکتر قالیباف +تصاویر (in Persian), 13 May 2017, retrieved 14 May 2017
  29. "حمایت تتلو از قالیباف( عکس)". 13 May 2017.
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