TABNAK: With the deadline for submitting as presidential hopeful in Iran ended a few days ago, all 80 candidates who threw hats in the ring of the election emphasized on improving economic situation of the nation in their campaign mottos.
The most high-profile candidates include Saeed Jalili, former chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, Iranian Supreme Leader advisor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former Iranian president and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, current Iranian Parliament Speaker who all represent conservative spectrum. The other leading figure, Es'haq Jahangiri, who served as first vice president under President Hassan Rouhani from 2013 to 2021, has fielded candidacy and has centered improving economic situation and all-out development in his elections motto.
However, despite expectations, interim president Mohammad Mokhber did not field candidacy.
Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, former governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati, Mehrdad Bazrpash, the current Minister of Roads and Urban Development, and Solat Mortazavi, Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfar are other candidates.
Four former female members of Parliament -Zohreh Elahian, Hajar Chenarani, Hamideh Zarabadi and Rafat Bayat - also filed their names to run for the presidency.
In the meantime, Jalili declared “serving the nation, honesty and efficient government,” as his motto.
Ali Larijani for his turn has vowed to provide the grounds for the country’s development if he wins the elections.
Ahmadinejad has pledged to resolve the nation’s livelihood challenges in his motto campaign. The same vow was made by Ghalibaf.
The conservative spectrum candidates taking part in the elections are mostly supported by the lower classes of the society and are not generally seeking political development in the country. On the other hand, political reforms are strongly sought by reformists who are mainly backed by the middle walks of the society.
The snap election is scheduled for June 28 and will elect a new president to replace Ebrahim Raeisi, who died in a tragic helicopter crash in northwestern Iran on May 19 along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six of their companions.
Constitutionally, Iran should hold presidential election within 50 days in case president dies or dismissed from his post.
The candidates must be vetted and approved by the Guardian Council. The country's 12-member election supervisory body will then release the final list of qualified candidates on June 11.
