Iranian Principlists are finding that getting their house in order ahead of an election is becoming more complicated than ever. As the conservative camp takes measures to agree on a single candidate who can challenge incumbent Hassan Rouhani in the May 19 presidential election, reports of internal strife continue to surface.

In an attempt to unite behind a consensus nominee, some Principlists announced the formation of the Popular Front of Revolutionary Forces, known by its Persian acronym JAMNA, on Dec. 25. The founders of this group are 10 Principlist figures who many have speculated will be potential presidential candidates. Among them is former Minister of Health and Medical Education Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, one of the Principlists’ top prospects. However, JAMNA has yet to get the broader conservative camp to agree on a single candidate.

Meanwhile, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013) has introduced Hamid Baghaei, who served as his second-term deputy (2009-2013), as a candidate, indicating that he has no plans of going under the Principlist umbrella. Further highlighting his intent on pursuing an independent path, Ahmadinejad voiced his support for Baghaei on March 10, while at the same time attacking both the Principlists and the Reformists.

Ahmadinejad is not the only conservative who is distancing himself from the Principlist camp and dancing to his own tune. Iran’s hard-line former nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, has also been engaged in independent electoral activities in the past few months, demonstrating his will to run in the upcoming vote. Attempts to convince Jalili to go under the Principlist umbrella have also failed to produce any results. In a Jan. 8 interview, conservative theoretician Mohammad Reza Bahonar publicly warned Jalili against pursuing his current path, saying, “Our friends should be aware that the upcoming presidential election will have only two distinct candidates. Those who want to undermine this will face serious problems. If they think that with 5 million votes, they can create problems for someone, they are wrong, since ultimately, they will obtain [no more than] 500,000 votes. I remind not just Jalili but all Principlists of this.”