New Tehran mayor likely to be Rouhani ally
Reformist members of the incoming Tehran City Council are selecting who will replace conservative Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as the next mayor.
The Tehran mayorship is a controversial position. Over the past 12 years, mayors have sought to run for the presidency — a dream that came true for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005.
The current mayor, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is a conservative who has unsuccessfully tried his luck in presidential elections three times. Besides his various alleged violations of the law, Ghalibaf has been under fire from Reformists who have accused him of using the municipality’s budget for campaigning purposes. These attacks and criticisms weren’t enough to force Ghalibaf out of the municipality, which he has headed since 2005, as conservatives held the majority in the Tehran City Council and supported him through the ups and downs. But now, with Reformists winning all seats in the May 2017 election for the Tehran City Council, Ghalibaf is on his way out.
