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Iranian 'shadow government' likely to remain pipe dream

Despite the fanfare in some quarters of the Principlist camp, the idea of a “shadow government” being set up in Iran appears unlikely to materialize.
Iranian Presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi (L) and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf gesture during a campaign meeting at the Mosalla mosque in Tehran, Iran, May 16, 2017. Picture taken May 16, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX36CQS

Following the re-election of Hassan Rouhani in the May 19 presidential elections, talk of establishing of a “shadow government” has been floating around Iranian political circles. Some Principlists have proposed the idea, although not everyone in their camp has welcomed it.

In a statement released on May 20, Saeed Jalili, a conservative politician who unsuccessfully ran in the 2013 presidential elections, unveiled the idea, which is perhaps most prominent in the British political system. In his statement, Jalili called for the formation of “a shadow government in an effort to help the sitting government and make up for its shortcomings and inefficiencies.”

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