Time over to file for presidential election

The deadline ended at 6 pm (local time) on Saturday for candidates to register their names for the upcoming presidential election in Iran slated for May 19.

A total number of 1,365 candidates from all walks of life filed their names to run for presidential election, including several high-ranking officials and politicians.

Candidates started last Tuesday enrollment for presidential election.

The presidential candidates could enroll for presidential elections on April 11-16.

The 12th presidential election and also the 5th elections for the city and village councils as well as the mid-term parliamentary elections for some constituencies will be held on May 19.

Iran's incumbent President Hassan Rouhani registered to run for his second term on Friday afternoon.

Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has officially registered his candidacy for the 12th presidential election. Qalibaf arrived at the Iranian Interior Ministry's Election Office on Saturday and registered to run in the forthcoming election in May. Addressing reporters after his registration, Qalibaf disputed as 'unrealistic' incumbent President Hassan Rouhani’s claims about the current administration's economic performance.

Qalibaf has formerly served as commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ Air Force from 1997 to 2000 and police chief from 2000 to 2005. He was also the managing director of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Development Headquarters. He was also a candidate in both the 2005 and 2013 presidential elections. 

Earlier in April, the national assembly of the Popular Front of the Islamic Revolution Forces named their five final candidates for the upcoming presidential poll through voting.

The list included the custodian of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) and a former deputy chief of the Judiciary Hojjatoleslam Raeisi, Alireza Zakani, a former lawmaker, Mehrdad Bazrpash, also a former lawmaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is the current mayor of Tehran, and Parviz Fattah, the current head of the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation. The five were elected from a total of ten candidates, who had been chosen in the first meeting of the assembly, which was held at the same venue on February 23.

The Guardian Council is scheduled to start vetting presidential hopefuls for their qualifications on Sunday.

Incumbent First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri also registered on Saturday to run in the upcoming presidential election. Speaking to reporters after completing the registration process, Jahangiri said unity is needed to overcome challenges, citing unemployment as among the country’s main problems. He said Iran needs to create one million job opportunities each year. Jahangiri was the minister of industry, mine and trade from 1997 to 2005. Before that, he was the governor of the central province of Isfahan and also a member of the Parliament for two terms.
Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani, the brother of the late chairman of the Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, also on Saturday put his name down for the presidential contest. Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani, 75, was the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) for some 10 years until 1994 and also a member of the Expediency Council since 1997.
Meanwhile, former minister of agriculture Jihad Sadeq Khalilian, former lawmaker Evaz Heidarpour, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s Education and Research Committee Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi, member of Tehran’s Islamic City Council Hassan Bayyadi, former vice president for parliamentary affairs Ahmad Moussavi and lawmaker Hamid Reza Haji-Babaei were among other figures who threw their hat into the presidential race.

EA