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Iran: Absence of Raisi Casts Shadow Over Parliament Opening Session

Iranian lawmakers attend the inauguration session for the new Parliament in Tehran on May 27, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Iranian lawmakers attend the inauguration session for the new Parliament in Tehran on May 27, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
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Iran: Absence of Raisi Casts Shadow Over Parliament Opening Session

Iranian lawmakers attend the inauguration session for the new Parliament in Tehran on May 27, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Iranian lawmakers attend the inauguration session for the new Parliament in Tehran on May 27, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

Iranian lawmakers swore their oath as Parliament's twelfth session began in Tehran amid tight security. The mood, however, was somber due to the loss of President Ebrahim Raisi.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged unity, advising against pointless competition and political bickering. He also warned against overspending on projects beyond the budget.
The Parliament’s opening session was attended by dignitaries, diplomats, and foreign ambassadors, following the recent mourning period for Raisi and seven others who died in a helicopter crash.
Several high-ranking Iranian officials such as the chief judiciary, former parliament speakers, a representative of the Supreme Leader, ministers, and the interim president, Mohammed Mokhber also took part in the opening ceremony.
Iran’s IRNA news agency reported heightened security measures around Tehran’s Baharestan area, where Parliament is located.
Two black flags were positioned alongside the Iranian flag and the parliamentary emblem.
Additionally, two vacant seats were left at the guests’ location, bearing the images of Raisi and the late Iranian top diplomat, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as reported by the government-affiliated ISNA agency.
Iranian television broadcasted footage showing some officials in tears during the airing of memorial segments for Raisi.
According to the law, the two oldest legislators of this term of the parliament were presented as speaker and vice speaker of the opening session.
This week, Parliament will discuss internal elections for a 12-member presiding board and committee heads.
The current Parliament, much like the previous one, is dominated by conservatives, with limited competition from reformist camps in the recent legislative elections.
The Parliament’s opening session kicked off with the customary reading of a statement from Iran’s Supreme Leader, delivered by his chief office holder, Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani.
Khamenei expressed satisfaction with the Parliament starting on time and emphasized the importance of a balanced mix of experienced and new members.
He encouraged cooperation with other authorities and stressed the need for Parliament to promote peace, hope, and unity.
Khamenei cautioned against wasting time on media battles and political conflicts, warning that such distractions could lead to significant losses.

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Some Undecided Voters Not Convinced by Harris After Debate with Trump 

A man holds a Harris-Walz flag as supporters of Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris attend a watch party during the US Presidential debate between Harris and former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 10, 2024. (AFP)
A man holds a Harris-Walz flag as supporters of Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris attend a watch party during the US Presidential debate between Harris and former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 10, 2024. (AFP)
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Some Undecided Voters Not Convinced by Harris After Debate with Trump 

A man holds a Harris-Walz flag as supporters of Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris attend a watch party during the US Presidential debate between Harris and former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 10, 2024. (AFP)
A man holds a Harris-Walz flag as supporters of Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris attend a watch party during the US Presidential debate between Harris and former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 10, 2024. (AFP)

Kamala Harris was widely seen as dominating Tuesday's presidential debate against Republican former president Donald Trump, but a group of undecided voters remained unconvinced that the Democratic vice president was the better candidate.

Reuters interviewed 10 people who were still unsure how they were going to vote in the Nov. 5 election before they watched the debate. Six said afterward they would now either vote for Trump or were leaning toward backing him. Three said they would now back Harris and one was still unsure how he would vote.

Harris and Trump are in a tight race and the election will likely be decided by just tens of thousands of votes in a handful of battleground states, many of whom are swing voters like the undecided voters who spoke to Reuters.

Although the sample size was small, the responses suggested Harris might need to provide more detailed policy proposals to win over voters who have yet to make up their minds.

Five said they found Harris vague during the more than 90-minute debate on how she would improve the US economy and deal with the high cost of living, a top concern for voters.

The encounter was particularly important for Harris, with a weekend New York Times/Siena College opinion poll showing that more than a quarter of likely voters feel they do not know enough about her, in contrast to the well-known Trump.

The Trump converts said they trusted him more on the economy, even though all said they did not like him as a person. They said their personal financial situation had been better when he was president between 2017-2021. Some singled out his proposal to tax foreign imports, although economists say that is likely to raise prices.

Four of those six also said Harris did not convince them she would pursue different economic policies than Democratic President Joe Biden, a Democrat they largely blame for the high cost of living.

"I still don't know what she is for," said Mark Kadish, 61, an entrepreneur in Florida. "There was no real meat and bones for her plans."

Four of the voters are women and six are men; eight are white and two are Black. All have voted for both Democratic and Republican candidates in the past.

Harris did mention some policy specifics, including her plan to offer tax benefits to families and small businesses. But she focused much of the debate on attacking Trump rather than laying out detailed policies.

Robert Wheeler, 48, a security firm executive in Nevada, was leaning toward Harris before the debate. He now says if the election were held tomorrow, he would vote for Trump, largely because he thought Harris didn't provide clarity on her policies.

"I felt like the whole debate was Kamala Harris telling me why not to vote for Donald Trump instead of why she's the right candidate," Wheeler said.

But Meredith Marshall, who is self-employed and lives in Los Angeles, said she was now for Harris. She said she had hoped to hear more about the economy from the vice president, but still liked her plan to help small business owners.