Differences Over Resistance Economy

Rooz Online

A few days after the leader of Iran ordered the implementation of what he calls resistance economy, he met with the three heads of branches of the state and asked them to bring this about as soon as possible.

This meeting was organized to identify “the ways to implement and attain” the policies of resistance economy. During the meeting ayatollah Khamenei said the “economy and the problems it has caused are the most important issue in the country and among people” He said if the general policies of resistance economy were implemented then we could hope that “the economy would revitalize and its foundations would be strengthened in the mid-term ultimately resolving some of the problems people face.”

He also called on each branch to seriously get involved and carry out its duty in this regard.

In his instructions to the heads of the three branches of government Khamenei had specified that resistance economy would include programs to “reduce dependence on oil revenues and to reduce public expenditures.”

Based on these policies, production of basic commodities, particularly those that are met through imports, are planned to increase while the sources of imports would be diversified. Special stockpiles or reserves would be created for food and drug security, and the primary material to produce them. Khamenei’s remarks included words to boost the morale of Iranians. “We are wealthy and have a wealth of human resources which are rare, if not unique. The world needs us more than we need them.”

Khamenei went further and said if laws needed to be changed to implement the policies of resistance economy then the Majlis had an obligation to do this.

But Iranian hardline principlists appear to have not grasped the details of Khamenei’s ideas and the new economic policies. Mohammad-Reza Pour-Ibrahim, the deputy chairman of Majlis’s industries committee recently said, “Majlis’s specialized committees await instructions from the Majlis leadership on resistance economy.”

Jahan news, a website close to principlist Ali-Reza Zakani, quoted a lecturer from Imam Sadegh University to have said, “If lifestyles were altered to be based on national self reliance, the jihadi spirit and refrainment from eating the haram, then one could expect results in this regard. A representative of ayatollah Khamenei in the Basij mobilization force, Mohammad-Reza Toisarkani had also said that resistance economy had strengthened Iran’s hand at the Geneva nuclear talks.

Generally, principlists believe that Iran could pass through its current difficult stage if resistance economy was implemented. But if, as he argued, resistance economy had already produced results to the point that it had helped the Geneva talks, then what was the reason for ayatollah Khamenei to publicly call on the senior authorities last week to pursue these policies.

Supporters of former president Ahmadinejad have been saying that the previous administration had in fact been following resistance economy principles and policies, but ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks last week indicate that he disagrees.