Iran’s Guardian Council approved this Sunday (9) six candidates for the presidential elections that were brought forward to June 28 because of the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, along with Foreign Minister Hossein. Amir Abdolahian, and six others last month.
The name of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was vetoed by the Guardian Councilwhich endorsed the candidacy of the President of Parliament, Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf, considered one of the favorites for the post.
Qalibaf was one of the last to register his candidacy and the previous week he reinforced his position as a candidate for president of Iran in front of Parliament. Former mayor of Tehran and former commander of the Revolutionary Guard, conservative Qalibaf has already run for president twice and lost in both contests.
The other names approved were former head of nuclear negotiations Saeed Jalili, the mayor of the capital Tehran, Alireza Zakani, former Justice Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi and Raisi’s vice president, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi. Around 80 politicians registered as pre-candidates for the presidential elections in Iran.
Vetoed by the conservative Guardian Council Ahmadinejad succeeded the country’s first reformist president in 2005Mohammad Khatami – who in 1999 brought an air of openness to the Islamic Republic of Iran – and once again imposed ultra-conservative policies.
His presidency was very controversial, both abroad and domestically, but the former president continues to have strong support among the popular classes, despite the economy worsening during Ahmadinejad’s presidential term.
Since the 2020 parliamentary elections, the Council has prevented the participation of several reformist candidates, who support the gradual opening of the country, thus favoring the conservatives.
The elections will be held amid strong public discontent generated by the country’s economic situation and social repression, especially against women with the new campaign to impose the wearing of the veil.
The recent parliamentary elections in March recorded the lowest turnout in the 45 years of the Islamic Republic, when just 41% of the electorate went to the polls.
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