Highlights: Second debate in 2024 Iran presidential runoff election

The two candidates vying for the Iranian presidency, Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili, square off in the second televised debate in the 2024 Iranian presidential runoff election.

This is the second of two debates before the July 5 presidential runoff vote, centered on economic issues. The first debate on political and cultural issues was held on Monday evening.

Campaigning for the runoff vote officially began on Sunday, a day after the results of the June 28 election were announced by the Interior Ministry.

Pezeshkian and Jalili received the highest number of votes but no candidate managed to secure the absolute majority, paving the way for the runoff election. 

Pezeshkian is a former health minister and senior lawmaker from the northwestern city of Tabriz. Jalili is the former lead nuclear negotiator and head of the top security body.

Here are highlights of the debate hosted by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB):

Jalili (closing remarks):

• Dear people! The choice is between returning to the 8 years of country's stagnation or continuing with Martyr (President) Raeisi (government) in reviving the factories.
• Now is not the time to waste opportunities. It is the time for role-playing to compensate for those 8 years of capital destruction. 
• Dear people! A world of opportunities lies ahead of us. 
• Now is not the time to make excuses. We cannot solve problems with trial and error plans.
• I'm not someone who makes excuses at the first sign of a problem.
• Their (wrongdoers) cries have risen against me, even though nothing has happened yet.
• They know I will hold them accountable, the state-owned companies and the cronies.

Pezeshkian: (closing remarks)

• I was not a member of any party, but I became the deputy minister of health in (Mohammad) Khatami's government because I had professional qualifications.
• I am neither illiterate nor affiliated with any party, nor did I separate myself from the people. I was from within the people and for the people.
• They falsely accuse me of being part of a certain government (referring to Hassan Rouhani government).
• I ask you to come to the scene on Friday, July 5th, and vote for Iran. I respect those who voted and those who did not.

Jalili:

• Mr. Pezeshkian has a problem with the fact that a group of people and elites sit down together to find solutions to problems.
• It's strange for him that people can sit down and do this without considering the costs.
• In Mr. Pezeshkian's view, it's impossible for individuals to sit like this and do consultancy work without considering money.
• We say every Iranian should have a glorious role, you say it's just about money. There are thousands of people willing to work for the country.
• The same parliament (the sixth parliament) that was aligned with you impeached you (from the ministry of health).

Pezeshkian:

• Management and control of the structure and assets of retirees must be implemented so that their assets are not wasted.
• Factories, companies and buildings owned by retirees should be managed in a way that enhances productivity rather than cause losses.
• Retirees should have access to healthcare services without cost.
• We should increase retirees' salaries based on the (existing) inflation rate.

Jalili: 

• You should ask universities and the education ministry to include programs in automotive and housing economics (in their curriculum), and universities should be linked to these subjects.
• In the past decade, we have brought dozens of university professors, mechanical engineers, and various managers to discuss (the issue of) cars with them. 
• Production volume is one of the most important issues related to cars. It must increase enough so that this problem does not arise in the market.
• Car production must become economical. We have conducted technical review and spoken with professors from various fields and experienced managers (about it). 
• One of the ways to increase production volume (of cars) is through imports.

Pezeshkian:

• There are many people who have dollars and if you allow, they will import cars into the country. Why don't we allow it?
• I will liberalize car imports with the currencies they have.
• If you open up competition and allow cars to be imported, the market will regulate itself.
• The market will regulate itself. I don't need to intervene (as president).

Jalili: 

• The government of Martyr Raeisi inherited at least 60 percent inflation (from the previous government) and made every effort to reduce it. In some items, inflation was 80 percent before his government. 
• The issue of inflation must be rooted out and resolved, without blaming individuals.
• Unfortunately, today reading and working have become anti-merit. If you say you have a plan, it becomes anti-merit, but if you don't have a plan and say you're investigating, it becomes merit. 
• You (Pezeshkian) have very little information on many topics, and in these matters, you don't even have basic information.
• Inflation has two causes: one is core inflation, and the other is inflationary spikes. We need solutions for both.
• What is the solution for budget imbalance? Increase resources and reduce expenditures.
• First and foremost, to control inflation, you must have control over the Rial.
• You need to structure your systems and know where this circulation of money is going. You must create transparency in large capital assets. 
• The fluctuations in exchange rates cause inflation and lead to distress in the market and the people.
• Stability in exchange rates is very important for our market.

Pezeshkian: 

• Without allocating resources for housing, no government can implement these laws.
• With the salaries we provide to employees, even in a 1000-year, housing cannot be built in Tehran.
• I have repeatedly said that the cause of inflation is the government that takes money out of people's pockets. 
• Either the government expands and creates the imbalance, forcing it to print money, or the government borrows extra money from banks.
• If we can import and export currency, we can significantly mitigate inflation and take off pressure off people. 
• Amid sanctions, prices inevitably rise, and we cannot make purchases, leaving the government to dip into people's pockets.
• What we can currently do domestically, without lifting sanctions, is to focus on energy inefficiencies, currency management, and management.

Jalili: 

• Some friends claim the Mehr Housing scheme is worthless. Well, what alternative did you have? They're proud that they didn't even build a single housing unit. 
• In eight years (of Rouhani government), the average housing prices increased tenfold.
• Mr. Pezeshkian! What does the seventh plan say about land and housing? I speak for people, but you too, Mr. Pezeshkian, should find out!
• If constructing one square meter of housing costs 15 million tomans, then an 80-square-meter housing unit would cost 1.2 billion tomans, and this is due to land prices.

Pezeshkian:

• Among my supporters are both left and right, even those who do not pray. But I will enforce the law.
• The government of Martyr Raeisi had said they would build one million house. It was a law, but they had not seen the resources. However, this is the entire housing that was provided during Martyr Raeisi's government (showing a chart). It's similar to before.
• They used to say they would build one million houses, create one million jobs, and reduce inflation to single digits. Did it happen?
• Not only am I following Martyr Raeisi's path in housing, but I am also strongly pursuing the land reform that is part of the policies of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution. 
• If we do not pursue land reforms, the future of Tehran will be a disaster.
• We must be able to provide employees with enough money to at least live in the homes they occupy. This ties back to the inflation that the government creates.

Jalili: 

• When the 45,000 tomans subsidy was given, its value was equivalent to $45, and it really helped the people. But in 8 years, they devalued the national currency and it became 30,000 tomans. 
• With the policies they were talking about making everything rosy with talks, inflation became 60 percent and dollar reached 30,000 tomans. They still provided the same 45,000 toman subsidy and didn't adjust it. 
• Martyr President Raeisi was not indifferent. He reduced inflation by 60 percent and increased subsidies tenfold, making it 450,000 tomans.
• We proposed a household basket plan. When some are going hungry, you cannot sleep. You are responsible.
• We prepared a plan with 13 food items that provide 2500 calories, which is the daily requirement of every person, to ensure at least the peace of mind that these 13 items reach the people and provide 2500 calories.
• We proposed a household travel plan. Subsidies shouldn't only be for bread. Dignified families have needs, just as they need bread, they also need recreation and travel.

Pezeshkian:

• In the Islamic government, no human should lay their hungry head on a pillow.
• It's natural not to give subsidies to me and people who ride luxurious cars. They should take from the wealthy and give to the deprived.
• We need to assess the situation we are facing. Currently, there's no plan; everyone is receiving subsidies. 
• We need to determine who should receive subsidies and who shouldn't.

Jalili: 

• Millions of people are involved with the stock market. In many public gatherings, people who unfortunately suffered serious blows in this matter protested due to mismanagement.
• Unfortunately, small investors suffered the most losses in the stock market.
• Dear people! The stock market is one of the best tools for the economy, production, and advancement of the country.
• The primary market of the stock exchange is a platform for production, and the secondary market also plays a significant role in ensuring the activity of the primary market.
• The stock market requires management, which means you must have a stability council. The central bank cannot make decisions that harm the stock market. 
• We have insurance for car accidents, shouldn't we have insurance for the stock market as well? Shares should be insured so that people do not suffer losses.
• The stock market is actually an opportunity, one of the platforms for every Iranian is this very stock market.
• Some individuals seeking rent and others involved in topics like speculative money want turmoil in the stock market to earn speculative money.
• One of our ways to enhance the stock market is transparency to prevent such things.
• Our opinion is to strengthen the stock market. One of our main discussions is facilitating financial support for production.
• The capital market is the backbone of the country's economy. If we say production and the leap in production with people's participation, the condition is facilitating financial support.
• Not that banks create money and financial support is provided for them, but financial support is not given in the field of production.

Pezeshkian:

• During lastnight's debate, it seemed as if I had disrespected our great national commander (General Qassem Soleimani). I consider him a source of national pride and a thorn in the eyes of our enemies. 
• General Soleimani was a hero who fought against oppression abroad and was a supporter of the oppressed at home, regardless of whether they wore Hijab or not, or whether they were religious or not.
• I will implement the Strategic Action Law of the Parliament (in response to sanctions). Since it is the law, I will implement it.
• We will discuss it with the Supreme National Security Council and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament to reach a common perspective and language.
• It is not the case that if the US does not fulfill its commitments, we will still fulfill ours. I will not enter into negotiations (about JCPOA) with just one option.
• No government in history has been able to achieve growth and prosperity within a cage.
• We are compelled to first interact and exchange with regional countries for growth and prosperity, and then with other countries (across the world).
• This requires various options including involving experts and elites, coordination, interaction, and consequently legal frameworks.
• The primary issue is the perspective: do we want to solve our problems with the world or not? I believe we must get out of the deadlock to solve the country's problems.

 Jalili:

• Today, I was a guest of the people of Lorestan. They were deeply affected by the incorrect portrayal of Martyr Qassem Soleimani, and they asked me to express their dissatisfaction.
• Mr. Pezeshkian, I am sorry that you consider our country to be a cage. What do you mean by saying we are in a cage?
• You follow a single path regarding sanctions, keep saying it, get no results, face sanctions again, and continue on the same path. 
• You do not offer any solution for sanctions. Your only solution is to give more concessions. You gave all the concessions and got nothing in return. You still haven't presented a solution. 
• You have not provided a plan for the country's growth or for lifting sanctions. You believe there is a deadlock, but I believe there is no deadlock. 
• Despite sanctions, there are so many opportunities and growth potentials.
• You must be proactive in the face of sanctions, not passive.
• You should hold the other party accountable for not fulfilling their commitments, not say you will pressure the people to give more concessions to the foreign party. 
• If the other party does not fulfill its commitments, what concession do you want to give that you haven't given before. 
• You are a doctor, Mr. Pezeshkian. Wrong diagnoses lead to wrong prescriptions and can be deadly.

Pezeshkian: 

• How much have we increased the country's money supply (probably referring to liquidity) is clear. You can ask experts or get the information from the Central Bank.
• The reality is this: You say you did this and that. Well, if you did, where is it? Didn't you say employment would double and we would build a million houses a year?
• In these three years, they have only issued permits for 900,000 houses. They were supposed to bring inflation to single digits, but it has been double digits for three years!
• Yesterday I asked him if President Raeisi government had a plan or not? If there was a plan, what is your plan? Do you want to reset everything from the scratch?
• On one hand, he says you are not implementing the law, and on the other hand, he says I have a plan. Well, there is a law and we must implement it.

Jalili: 

• Mr. Pezeshkian evaded answering questions. He doesn’t talk about sanctions or solutions. 
• He only says we will talk to foreign countries and put pressure on our own country.
• Mr. Pezeshkian, do you know what an 'alternative' means? I say I will go with alternatives and options.
• Name one of those alternatives. What do you have besides giving concessions?
• You want to disregard 32 years of performance and focus only on the past three years, which have actually been remarkable compared to those 32 years.
• You said it was impossible to export oil, but compare 2019 with 2023. It has multiplied several times in 2023 compared to 2019.
• Foreign investments in 2023 compared to 2019 and 2018 have multiplied several times.
• At the beginning of Martyr Raeisi’s government, some economists predicted that inflation would exceed 100%. Now these same people, according to Mr. Pezeshkian, are considered experts!
• On issues such as JCPOA and FATF, we are in a position to demand and must pursue the matter through dialogue. 
• But as Mr. Pezeshkian said, we also need alternatives. t seems he has just become familiar with this term.
• We must practically neutralize sanctions so that even the US Secretary of State will have to admit that they didn’t want us to sell oil, yet we are now selling 2 million barrels of oil.
• A self-deprecating group alongside Mr. Pezeshkian says that they didn't try to stop us. We just didn't succeed. This perspective is a real disaster.
• We must make the other party regret imposing economic sanctions and make it costly for them to continue. This requires planning and effort.

Pezeshkian: 

• He (Jalili) wants to become president, and yet in front of the people, he falsely accuses me of continuing (Hassan) Rouhani's path. He slanders those who are not present and is never willing to sit down and talk with them. 
• Our national hero, the honorable Martyr General Soleimani, ensured Iraq's security, but we give the market to others.
• A weak leader is someone who negotiates but ends up with Iran's case being referred to the UN Security Council.
• I commit to pursuing justice and eliminating discrimination.
• I commit to striving so that no Iranian family has to worry about their children.
• The reason for the current situation (in the country) is incompetent, inexperienced and unqualified managers.

Jalili: 

• Are the people around you not (President) Rouhani's ministers? Wasn't Mr. Zarif Rouhani's minister? You call that slander?
• Is Mr. Zarif, with his ineffective performance, part of your campaign team or not?
• Because of the agreement Mr. Zarif wrote, you couldn't even complain to the US when they withdrew from the JCPOA. 
• The Strategic Action Law by the parliament for lifting sanctions was a very precise law.
• You gave dozens of concessions, and it didn't work. We do not believe that such concessions should be made. 
• We can't give all the concessions, and then when they don't act, we say we have won the ethics trophy. 
• Mr. Pezeshkian, the problem with you is that you don't accept the people. You don't consider the youth and the experts.
• Can you show your plan that you claim they have supported? Which plan do you have?

Pezeshkian: 

• He (Jalili) lost the rhyme yesterday and has come today. He only throws accusations and hasn't answered your (moderator) question.
• He says "I belong to a certain party". This is a blatant lie. I am not affiliated with any party. Everyone knows this. But he (Jalili) accuses me to deceive the people.
• My family and I were doing labor work to build houses (years ago). I built 600 sanitation houses in honor of 600 martyrs.
• I have repeatedly said that my path is the path of Imam Ali (AS). The people are the criterion for me.

Jalili: 

• These discussions, as they have stated, are clear here, and fortunately we are in the presence of 80 million people. 
• Mr. Pezeshkian! You talk about honesty with people, but you must show your honesty to people. Not that something is written and you say, "I am reading these!"
• God is the overseer and witness of how much your statements are in accordance with reality and true. 
• You don't even know, Mr. Pezeshkian, when the case of Iran was referred to the UN Security Council. You neither understand the issue nor know the date the case was referred.

Pezeshkian: 

• Dear people, know that our brother, who intends to become the president tomorrow, currently has all the officials of the current government—district governors, provincial governors etc—working with full force for him.
• At the time when I spoke about the 25,000-toman gasoline, I wasn't in the government.
• Richer individuals consume more energy, and the cost is borne by those who do not use gasoline or electricity.
• If fairness is to be achieved, this subsidy should be given to everyone. It should also be given to those who do not consume.
• Without expertise and dialogue with people, increase in gasoline prices should not have happened. However, we cannot subsidize the wealthy while others bear the cost of inflation.
• We need to fairly distribute subsidies and allowances that we give to some and deny to others.
• We should provide subsidies to vulnerable groups and at least recover the additional consumption costs from people like me.

Jalili:

• Where are the former presidents, all those who were involved (in governance) for 32 years? Where are they stationed now?
• Mr. Pezeshkian! You're not speaking at a university anymore, as you claimed. Now you want to talk about the presidency. When you say we need to find a solution, then when? 
• People, today we must decide, and studies should have been conducted beforehand. The presidency is not a trial-and-error phase or an experiment. Every passing day puts pressure on the people.
• Up until the operational point of my plan regarding energy (the One Plan), we have progressed and thoroughly studied it.
• In the government of Mr. Rouhani, which Mr. Pezeshkian wants to continue as the Rouhani III government, the approach was to decide who should receive energy subsidies. 
• The best plan is to involve people themselves in this grand national plan. If you involve people in managing energy consumption, then they will participate because they will feel its benefit.
• We must trust people. It is the government's role to provide the framework and allow the people to manage their own consumption.
• Our plan does not imply increasing prices at all. It's about the current prices that exist.

Pezeshkian:

• Economy is not one person's affair. It's not that one person should plot for the economy. There are sets of economists and depending on their expertise, they write prescriptions.
• If we want to do something, we employ experts in that field on how to control the stock market.
• In principle, the government shouldn't intervene in prices and dictate what to do with production.
• Government intervention brings disaster to the stock market, market, and producers.
• What we are doing regarding the stock market is to restore stability and security to it. We won't compensate for the government's budget deficit from the stock market.
• From a professional and scientific perspective, health and medical economics, industry and finance, and the stock market are vastly different. We will definitely use relevant experts to address these imbalances.
• Resolving the stock market issue is not a simple matter. Sanctions are also important. If we don't resolve them, it will certainly affect the stock market itself.

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