As the date for the presidential elections in Iran approaches, names of candidates have begun to surface in recent days. One of the most notable names to have emerged in recent hours, in addition to military figures from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is Ali Akbar Salehi. The former foreign minister has entered the Iranian electoral arena. The news site Etnakhab reported that there are many calls for Salehi, who is the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency and former foreign minister, to run for election. However, he clarified to the Tasnim agency yesterday that he has not made a decision yet and is still considering the matter.
At the same time, Iranian activists circulated images promoting Ahmadinejad's campaign with a secular face, as the former president has shown more flexibility than during his rule regarding several issues, notably the relationship with foreign countries.
Former MPs also
Additionally, former Iranian MPs Ali Motahari and Mahmoud Sadeqi, who usually criticize the authority, officially announced their candidacies for the presidential elections scheduled for June 18 yesterday, as reported by AFP in Tehran. Their candidacies had previously been rejected for the legislative elections of 2020 by the Guardian Council, which has the final say on the approval of candidates' qualifications.
It is noteworthy that Ali Motahari, 63, is a well-known moderate figure who held a parliamentary seat for three consecutive terms between 2008 and 2020. He is also known for his strong rhetoric against the previous hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013), and continuously criticized government practices and oppression of opponents during his last parliamentary term. He has consistently called for lifting the house arrest imposed on Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who led the "Green Movement" during mass protests against Ahmadinejad's reelection in 2009. He is the son of Ayatollah Morteza Motahari, a thinker of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and a close ally of Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. Although he holds conservative views on some social issues, he announced that he will run as an independent candidate.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Sadeqi (59) is a lawyer affiliated with the reformist camp. He held a parliamentary seat for one term (2016-2020), during which he served as the spokesperson for the reformists in parliament. This follows the opening of the nomination period for next month’s elections to choose a successor to President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday, which will continue until Saturday. The final list of candidates is expected to be announced by May 27, followed by a twenty-day election campaign. The Ministry of Interior has reportedly received over one hundred nomination applications so far, the majority of which are from unknown individuals.
