The first debate of the upcoming presidential election, held on Monday, resembled a highly ritualized electoral spectacle.
Women were notably absent from the first debate, adhering to the unwritten norms of the Islamic Republic.
All candidates, organizers, and observers from the Election Commission, and economic experts participating in the debate were men.
Even the children who performed during the broadcast were exclusively boys, highlighting the exclusion of women from the electoral process.
Throughout the three rounds of the debate focused on the economy, male experts posed questions to the male candidates, with no mention of women's issues or their limited participation in Iran's economy.
The formal start of the debate unfolded with the candidates' entrance, broadcast live on TV and radio.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared with his grandson, and Alireza Zakani arrived in an electric taxi.
In contrast to previous presidential elections, the 14th election's first debate featured elaborate ceremonies.
The candidates began with a reception by election headquarters managers and public relations officials of state TV.
Following a lengthy and detailed welcome ceremony, including the arrival of the head of Iran's Broadcasting Organization and a lottery to determine speaking order, the first election debate finally commenced.
The preparations for the first debate included a cultural display by children, some dressed in regional attire, singing hymns representing various ethnicities of Iran.
However, there was a conspicuous absence of children representing the Bakhtiari Lors.
During this segment, where children sang in different Iranian languages, controversy arose when a child in Arabic attire unexpectedly sang the Iraqi national anthem instead of an Iranian folk song.
This incident led to the absence of any official media coverage of this part of the debate.
The use of children in this political ceremony by the Radio and Television of the Islamic Republic drew criticism from children's rights activists, who protested involving children in official political rituals.
Following the children's performance, which was not a prerequisite for the debate's start, three hosts drew attention to ethics by honoring Qassem Soleimani, the late commander of the Quds Force.
They quoted him emphasizing the value of elections over military maneuvers and urged people to participate.
The broadcast then featured images of the candidates for the upcoming presidential election praying alongside Election Campaign Review Commission members.
Finally, after nearly 20 minutes of formal ceremony, the debate officially commenced with a clip of the late President Ebrahim Raisi.
The first debate of the upcoming election in Iran, focusing on "Production Growth and Inflation Control," failed to capture significant public attention.
IranWire sources said a substantial budget of 20 billion tomans ($345,000) was allocated to design the studio decor, which seated candidates in a row on sofas rather than facing each other for debate, a departure from traditional setups.
Alireza Zakani's verbal slip during the debate, confusing WTO with WHO, garnered attention online.
Additionally, reports surfaced that Zakani violated rules by bringing a cell phone into the venue, which was subsequently taken from him.
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