As Iranians Head to the Polls, a Look at Hashemi Rafsanjani & How He Helped Build Democracy in Iran

Recognized by ordinary Iranians as a credible and effective force for change, Rafsanjani served, in his final years, as a vessel for the public's will, as well as a catalyst for its transformation.

by Shervin Malekzadeh

Iranians will go to the polls this Friday, May 19, to vote in their country’s 12th presidential election, their first without Ali Akbar Bahramani. Better known as Hashemi Rafsanjani, there is a sense inside of Iran he was the one who held it all together, the pivot of the Islamic Republic’s odd universe, its indispensable man.

Rafsan…