He took a religious hard line, reversing reforms of previous moderate mayors. His 2005 presidential campaign, supported by the Alliance of Builders of Islamic , garnered 62% of the runoff election votes, and he became president on 3 August 2005.During his presidency, Ahmadinejad was a controversial figure in homeland and other countries. He has been criticized domestically for his economic policies and accused of disregard for human rights by organizations in North America and Europe.
Outside of homeland, he has been criticized for his hostility towards countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States and other Western and Arab states. In 2007, Ahmadinejad introduced a gasoline rationing plan to reduce the country’s fuel consumption and cut the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge. He supports nuclear program. His election to a second term in 2009 was widely disputed and led to widespread protests domestically and criticism from Western countries.
