An Iranian lawmaker says the Islamic Republic’s model of governance has created conditions where the people are ignored. 

Ahmad Alirezabeighi, the representative of Tabriz in the parliament, said in an interview on Monday that “it is natural that dissatisfaction increases among people because our policies and strategies are carried out by ignoring the people."

Criticizing the government’s decision to scrap the subsidy for essential food and medicines, despite warnings of more inflation and hardship, he said, “Currently, where are our people in the economic equation?” People should be central in the decisions of the country, he noted. 

Alirezabeighi, a conservative retired police officer who served as the governor of East Azarbaijan province under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, added that the problem in Iran is not nuclear negotiations adding that past experience shows that “our problem is ignoring people.”

He said that in negotiations if a government does not enjoy the support of its people, it will have to give in to the pressure of foreigners. 

“Many think that the solution to our economic problems depends on the [revival of] the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The past eight years of Rouhani's government showed that the JCPOA cannot be effective in this regard,” he added. 

Alirezabeighi also said that Iran’s interactions with Russia and China should be based on the country’s interests, referring to criticisms over the Islamic Republic’s a 25-year cooperation agreement with China and a proposed 20-year deal with Russia.