Iranian presidential Election of 2005

[IPC]

Iranian presidential Election of 2005

The schedule of the election has been decided between the Ministry of Interior and the Guardian Council. The election may continue into a runoff race, which will take place at least a week later than the first round of elections, most probably on June 24, 2005.

The first three suggestions by the Ministry, for May 13, May 20, and June 10, 2005, had been rejected by the Council. The Ministry has mentioned that it is concerned that an election later than May 20 may collide with the final exams of the elementary schools and high schools.

On the same date, mid-term Majlis elections for Gachsaran, Garmsar, Ghazvin, Ilam, Iranshahr, Jolfa, Marand, Sarbaz, and Shiraz will take place together with the runoff elections of Tehran for the Iranian Majlis election of 2004.

Candidates

Very few people have confirmed that they are running for the post of president, and the registration will only begin on May, 2005 or possibly later.

The candidates must first be approved by the Guardian Council before being put to public vote, and there is a chance that some of the possible reformist candidates won't win the approval, specially Behzad Nabavi or Mohammad Reza Khatami, who were rejected by the Council in the parliamentary elections of 2004. There are many who expect Mostafa Moin to be disapproved as well. Also, there is a very high probability of rejection of women, because of an ambiguous term ("rejaal", ????) in the Constitution of Iran, which is a requirement for presidential candidates which may be interpreted as either "men" or "famous people". The Guardian Council, who is also the official interpreter of the constitution, has mentioned on previous elections that the restriction has not been considered in depth yet, since according to the Council's opinion there were no women registered to run for presidency who fulfilled the other requirements of the constitution; but still, the Council believes that the requirement of rejaal would not match women.

There was discussion of a new law proposed in the Majlis, restrictiing the maximum age of the candidates for the presidential elections. This was widely seen as an attempt to limit participation Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mehdi Karroubi. The attempt failed.

There exist many contradicting reports about the possible candidates and their confirmations and/or declinations. The list of certain and possible candidates include:

Trans-party

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council and a former President of Iran, who may win the support of certain parties from both of the wings, but is considered to be leaned towards the conservatives more than towards the reformists. Ironically, the reformist alliance is considering him as a possible candidate of theirs more than the conservative alliance. He is invited to run for president by Executives of Construction Party (reformist), Islamic Civilization Party, Islamic Labour Party (conservative), Jam'iyat-e Vafaadaaraan-e Enghelaab-e Eslaami (conservative), Moderation and Development Party (conservative), and Workers' House (reformist) as well as over 40 parties across the whole spectrum of positions.

Reformists

Confirmed to run

Mostafa Kavakebian, member of Democracy Party (hezb-e mardomsalari)
Mehdi Karroubi, former Majlis Speaker, Secretary General of Militant Clerics Society (MCS), supported by MCS, Islamic Association of Engineers, and Majma'-e Gorooh-haa-ye Khat-te Emam.
Mohsen Mehralizadeh, Vice-President and Head of National Sports Organization, member of IIPF. Mehralizadeh has annouced that he will be running for the post on behalf of the Iranian younger generation, but not if the reformist alliance reaches consensus on another candidate.
Mostafa Moin, former Minister of Science, Research and Technology, supported by Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF) and Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO). Confirmed to run on December 29, 2004. IIPF, an influential reformist party in Iran, has mentioned that they won't support any presidential candidate outside the party, except Mousavi and Moin. Since Mousavi has declined to run, they are currently supporting Moin, whom they claim to be the most probable candidate to win the approval of other parties in the reformist alliance. Some conservative Majlis representatives, including Mehdi Kouchakzadeh and Teymour Ali Asgari, have asked for the Guardian Council's rejection of Moin. Moin has announced that he will choose Mohammad Reza Khatami as his First Vice President if he is elected.

Uncertain

Mohammad Reza Aref, First Vice President
Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, former member of Tehran city council
Mostafa Mohaghghegh-Damad
Mohammad Ali Najafi, former Minister of Education, member of Executives of Construction Party (ECP)
Bizhan Namdar-Zangeneh, Minister of Petroleum, member of ECP
Abdollah Noori, former Minister of Interior, very improbable because of his convicted status when he was the manager in charge of the reformist newspaper Khordad which resulted in him leaving politics
Mohsen Rohami, Lawyer
Sadegh Tabatabaee, brother-in-law of Ahmad Khomeini

Declined

Safdar Hosseini, Minister of Economy and Finance Affair, member of IIPF
Hadi Khamenei, member of Society of Forces Following the Line of the Imam on December 6, 2004
Mohammad Reza Khatami, former Majlis Vice Speaker, Secretary General of IIPF
Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini
Mir-Hossein Mousavi, former Prime Minister, declined on October 12, 2004
Mohammad Mousavi-Khoiniha, member of MCS, declined on November 21, 2004
Behzad Nabavi, former Majlis Vice Speaker, member of MIRO
Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Spokesman of Government, member of IIPF

Conservatives

Being considered by the alliance

Ali Larijani, Supreme Leader's representative in National Security Council and a former director of IRIB, supported inside the conservative alliance by the ISE, considered to be the second choice of ABII.
Mohsen Rezai, Secretary of Expediency Discernment Council
Ahmad Tavakkoli, Majlis representative and Director of Majlis Research Center, former presidential candidate. If Tavakkoli runs, it will be the first time he is running for presidency not against an incumbent president.
Ali Akbar Velayati, an Adviser to the Supreme Leader and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, supported inside the conservative alliance by Islamic Coalition Party (ICP). Some members of ABII have unofficially noted that they will not support Velayati for the presidential elections even if the conservative alliance elects him internally, and may run Ahmadinezhad against him.

Uncertain

Habibollah Asgar-Owladi, member of ICP
Mohammad Bagher Ghalifab, Head of Police (niroo-ye entezaami)
Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, Speaker of Majlis
Abdollah Jaspi, director of Islamic Azad University, member of ICP
Mohammad Hadi Nezhad-Hosseinian, former Minister of Heavy Industries
Hassan Rowhani, Secretary of National Security Council
Reza Zavare'i, former member of Guardian Council, invited to run by Chekaad-e Daaneshjooyaan-e Mosalmaan

Declined

Mohammad Javad Larijani, director of IPM. He strongly endorses his brother Ali Larijani for presidency.
Mahmoud Ahmadinezhad, Mayor of Tehran, member of Islamic Society of Engineers (ISE), supported inside the conservative alliance by the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (ABII). On February 2, 2005 he said he would not seek for nomination.

Independents

Uncertain

Nasser Hejazi, former national football player
Azam Taleghani, daughter of Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani

Declined

Shirin Ebadi, winner of Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, declined on January 2, 2005, despite support among some independent groups and parties, which are usually called pro-Human rights

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