While Iranian conservatives are doing their best to form a coalition ahead of the upcoming May 19 presidential elections, parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has thrown his weight behind moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who is seeking re-election.
During recent months, conservatives have called on most of the prominent conservative figures and parties to put aside their differences and reach a consensus over a single candidate for the elections. Many conservatives say that the presence of more than one candidate will result in Rouhani’s re-election, given that several conservative figures ran for office in the 2013 vote.