Iran announced Sunday that six candidates have been approved by the Guardian Council to compete for presidency following the death of late President Ebrahim Raisi.
After five days of counseling and examination, Iran’s Guardian Council, which oversees elections in the Islamic republic, finally picked up six names as the final candidates to compete for presidency in Iran’s early election that is expected to be held on June 28. The candidates announced by the interior ministry were selected from 80 registered hopefuls by the Council.
Among those approved are the speaker of Iran’s parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and the former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Reformist Massoud Pezeshkian, who is a lawmaker representing Tabriz in Iran’s parliament, has also been approved to have a chance in the coming election.
Others on the list include conservative Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani, who became Tehran mayor after withdrawing in favor of Raisi in the 2021 race. The incumbent vice president Amirhossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi, the ultraconservative head of the Martyrs’ Foundation was also approved. He was also approved in 2021 and received 3.45 percent, or less than a million votes.
The 64-year-old Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi was also announced as legible candidate by Iran’s interior ministry this Sunday. Pour-Mohammadi served at different positions and cabinet posts. He was minister of interior from 2005 to 2008 and minister of justice from 2013 until 2017
Who was disqualified by the Guardian Council?
Among the most prominent disqualified were Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the ex-president of Iran, as well as moderate candidate and former three-time parliament speaker Ali Larijani – both of whom did not qualify to run in 2021 as well.
Eshaq Jahangiri, the former first vice president in the administration of moderate President Hassan Rouhani, was among those disqualified by the Guardian Council, along with former central bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati, who had been allowed to run in 2021 and got 8 percent of the total vote, or 2.42 million votes, but was not qualified this time.
Iran’ next presidential election was expected to be held in 2025, but the vote was brought forward after Raisi died on May 19 in a helicopter crash in northern Iran. The 63-year-old Raisi was very much hopeful secure another term in office as many believed he was good in running the country in turbulent times. Selected candidates now have the time ran over a five-day registration period; 80 individuals registered to run for the presidency.
