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Iranian Kurds disappointed with Rouhani

Some Reformist Kurds in Iran had hoped to have a Kurdish representative as governor for their region.

An Iranian-Kurd woman talks on her mobile phone as she walks at a bazaar while shopping in Marivan in Kurdistan province, 512 km (318 miles) west of Tehran, May 12, 2011. Iranian Shi'ite and Sunni Kurds live in harmony with each other in Marivan, although Sunni is the religion of the majority of the people. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION) - RTR2MC86
An Iranian Kurdish woman talks on her mobile phone as she walks at a bazaar while shopping in Marivan, Kurdistan province, Iran, May 12, 2011. — REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl

In all recent presidential elections in Iran, Reformist candidates have managed to win the majority of votes in Kurdish regions. In June, Hassan Rouhani received 71% of the votes in Kurdistan. In his campaign, Rouhani had promised to appoint locals to local administrative positions in different regions of the country. He had also said that he will "work on removing the stain of discrimination and inequality from the face of the religious and ethnic minorities in Iran."

After the new administration took office, many were hoping to see Rouhani nominate a Sunni Kurd as one of his cabinet members. There were discussions regarding the possibility of Bijan Zolfaghar Nasab, a famous soccer coach, becoming the new minister of youth affairs and sports; however, this did not happen.

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