Iran's conservatives still undecided on presidential candidate
As the deadline for Iran's presidential candidates to register their nomination approaches, conservatives are unable to reach a consensus over a single nominee.
Iranian officials announced that registration for the May 19 presidential election will start April 11.
Ali Asghar Ahmadi, the head of the election center at Iran’s Interior Ministry, stated April 3 that the presidential candidates will have the opportunity to register for the election from April 11-15.
Soon after the end of registration, the Guardian Council, which is tasked with vetting the candidates, will study the candidates’ political backgrounds and announce whether they are eligible to run in the election. In the 2013 presidential election, the Guardian Council unexpectedly disapproved of the candidacy of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who had twice before served as president of Iran. The disqualification prompted criticism from moderates and Reformists.
Currently, none of the likely presidential candidates have announced their decision to run. Moderates and Reformists have formed a coalition and announced that their sole candidate is incumbent President Hassan Rouhani. However, Rouhani himself hasn’t said a word about his decision, though his entourage has said he will surely run for president.
