Nearly 40 candidates have registered for Iran's presidential elections, which will be held on June 28. The main issue is not what plans the candidates propose, but who will be allowed to run by the Guardian Council.
Some “reformist” politicians have strongly criticized the registration and approval process and the lack of politically prominent figures among the candidates.
In a tweet on SundayGholamhossein Karbasi, a reformist politician and former secretary-general of the Constructionist Party (Karghozalan) caucus, called the candidate registration a “comedy show, or stand-up comedy”.
The former mayor of Tehran accused the authorities of wasting the country's time and funds to prepare people's minds to eliminate the concept of elections, a pillar of democracy.
This clearly refers to much speculation and debate over who will ultimately be allowed to run by the Guardian Council and whether the presidency will become an “appointed” rather than “elected” position.
“Put on a nice suit, walk slowly, wave your birth certificate, click a few camera flashes… and that's it!” Said Hajarian, an influential politician often referred to as a “theoretician of reform”, broke his silence. he tweeted on Sunday.
Hajarian criticized the registered candidates for not proposing a “coherent plan” and not nominating candidates for ministerial posts. “Whatever you call it, this is not politics or an election!” he wrote.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Among the politically prominent candidates, the disqualification of the populist former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who registered on Sunday Almost certainly. Many believe he was “disqualified” to promote his anti-establishment image.
Hardliners and ultra-hardliners
Many of the hardliners and ultra-hardliners who make up the majority of registered candidates Including Zohreh Elahian, the only woman to have been registered so far.It is unlikely to be approved by the council, which is appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Former nuclear negotiator Said Jalili But Mr. Jalili is not concerned about his eligibility to run. If elected, his government would likely be a copy of that of Ebrahim Raisi, over whom he exerted great influence.
Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakhani has registered as a supportive candidate, and many believe he may either back Jalili and withdraw, as Jalili did in 2021, or back him against other candidates in the election debates.
It remains to be seen whether Chairman Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Raisi's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazlpash will appear at the interior ministry on Monday, the last day for registration.
Ali Larijani
Former moderate conservative Speaker of the National Assembly, Ali Larijani banned from running in 2021 elections It is unclear whether it will be approved, but observers say Larijani is hopeful that Khamenei's intervention will be approved.
“Reformed”
So far, four “reformists” have registered to run, but no one has yet been announced as a Reform Front candidate.The reformers They said they were willing to take part in the elections if the administration allowed them to field their own candidates.
The reformist inclusive decision-making body has previously insisted it would not back candidates outside the reformist camp, as it did in the 2013 and 2017 elections, when it backed moderate conservative Hassan Rouhani.
At least one of the four reformist lawmakers who registered – former lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi, who registered on Sunday – is unlikely to be confirmed.
Like former MP Larijani Massoud Pezechkian Believed to be more popular than other registered reformers, he is thought to be hoping for Khamenei's intervention.
Former lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi, a vocal critic of Khamenei, is highly unlikely to be confirmed.
The reformists' inclusive decision-making body is due to meet again on Sunday evening to decide on a position.
Observers say Nasser Hemmati, a former central bank governor and member of Kargozalan, is likely to be approved but unlikely to win. Hemmati was approved to run against Raisi in 2012 but his presidential bid was not backed by other reformist parties or groups.
Hemmati received around 2.5 million votes (8.4%), coming in third behind Mohsen Rezai, in an election in which a staggering 13% of voters cast invalid or blank ballots.
