This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/iran-election-contenders
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Iran's election contenders | Iran's election contenders |
| (7 days later) | |
| While 686 candidates have registered to run in the Iranian elections on 14 June, they will be screened by the Guardian Council for their qualifications and loyalty to the Islamic Republic, with a shortlist of candidates to named on 22 May. Here are four to watch. | While 686 candidates have registered to run in the Iranian elections on 14 June, they will be screened by the Guardian Council for their qualifications and loyalty to the Islamic Republic, with a shortlist of candidates to named on 22 May. Here are four to watch. |
| Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani | Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani |
| The 79-year-old moderate politician famous for his pragmatism is one of Iran's great political survivors, who was among the founding members of the Islamic republic and later its president, from 1989 to 1997. | The 79-year-old moderate politician famous for his pragmatism is one of Iran's great political survivors, who was among the founding members of the Islamic republic and later its president, from 1989 to 1997. |
| After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Rafsanjani became the country's first speaker of the parliament, a job he kept for nine years. During the Iran-Iraq war, he was the then supreme leader Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini's top representative in the supreme defence council, acting as the de facto commander-in-chief of the Iranian military. When Khomeini died in 1989, Rafsanjani played an instrumental role in the appointment of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the current supreme leader. | After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Rafsanjani became the country's first speaker of the parliament, a job he kept for nine years. During the Iran-Iraq war, he was the then supreme leader Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini's top representative in the supreme defence council, acting as the de facto commander-in-chief of the Iranian military. When Khomeini died in 1989, Rafsanjani played an instrumental role in the appointment of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the current supreme leader. |
| The pair wereclosely allied during much of the 1980s and 1990s but they fell out after Rafsanjani lost to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election. In 2009, when the opposition Green Movement disputed the official results that gave Ahmadinejad a second term in office, Khamenei sided with the hardline president while Rafsanjani showed sympathy for the opposition. That triggered a rift between the two men, although both have refrained from attacking the other directly in public. | The pair wereclosely allied during much of the 1980s and 1990s but they fell out after Rafsanjani lost to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election. In 2009, when the opposition Green Movement disputed the official results that gave Ahmadinejad a second term in office, Khamenei sided with the hardline president while Rafsanjani showed sympathy for the opposition. That triggered a rift between the two men, although both have refrained from attacking the other directly in public. |
| As a result of his confrontation with Khamenei, who has the final word in all state matters in Iran, Rafsanjani's authority has diminished in recent years and two of his children were jailed last year on separate charges. Pro-Khamenei supporters have targeted Rafsanjani with a barrage of attacks, saying he is no longer loyal to the supreme leader and is too old to be elected as president. | As a result of his confrontation with Khamenei, who has the final word in all state matters in Iran, Rafsanjani's authority has diminished in recent years and two of his children were jailed last year on separate charges. Pro-Khamenei supporters have targeted Rafsanjani with a barrage of attacks, saying he is no longer loyal to the supreme leader and is too old to be elected as president. |
| Rafsanjani, who is likely to win the support of the country's reformers in the June vote, is currently the head of the country's expediency council, which mediates between the parliament and the powerful Guardian Council. | Rafsanjani, who is likely to win the support of the country's reformers in the June vote, is currently the head of the country's expediency council, which mediates between the parliament and the powerful Guardian Council. |
| Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei | Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei |
| Mashaei, 53, is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's closet ally and confidant. The pair have known and worked with each ogether for about 30 years. After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Mashaei worked for the revolutionary guards in its intelligence unit, later moving to the country's intelligence ministry in a low-profile position. Mashaei rose along with Ahmadinejad when the latter assumed key positions first as Tehran's mayor and then as president in 2005. | Mashaei, 53, is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's closet ally and confidant. The pair have known and worked with each ogether for about 30 years. After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Mashaei worked for the revolutionary guards in its intelligence unit, later moving to the country's intelligence ministry in a low-profile position. Mashaei rose along with Ahmadinejad when the latter assumed key positions first as Tehran's mayor and then as president in 2005. |
| In 2009 when Ahmadinejad took office for a second term after an election many believe was rigged, he appointed Mashaei as his vice-president. A week later Khamenei ordered him to resign. Supporters of Khamenei have accused Mashaei of attempting to undermine the supremacy of his leadership by advocating nationalism, putting Iran ahead of Islam and favouring greater cultural openness. More recently, Mashaei has been labelled as the leader of a "deviant movement" in Ahmadinejad's inner circle.Speculation is rife that his candidacy will be blocked by the Guardian Council, which vets all candidacies. Despite this, Ahmadinejad has stood firm by Mashaei. | In 2009 when Ahmadinejad took office for a second term after an election many believe was rigged, he appointed Mashaei as his vice-president. A week later Khamenei ordered him to resign. Supporters of Khamenei have accused Mashaei of attempting to undermine the supremacy of his leadership by advocating nationalism, putting Iran ahead of Islam and favouring greater cultural openness. More recently, Mashaei has been labelled as the leader of a "deviant movement" in Ahmadinejad's inner circle.Speculation is rife that his candidacy will be blocked by the Guardian Council, which vets all candidacies. Despite this, Ahmadinejad has stood firm by Mashaei. |
| Saeed Jalili | Saeed Jalili |
| Jalili, 47, is the secretary of the supreme national security council and the head of Iran's nuclear negotiating team. In 2007, he succeeded Ali Larijani, the current parliamentary speaker, as Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator with the responsibility of dealing with the west over the Islamic republic's nuclear activities. Jalili, who has a PhD in political science from Tehran's Imam Sadeq University, was not previously a familiar face in Iranian politics until he took over the country's sensitive nuclear talks. | Jalili, 47, is the secretary of the supreme national security council and the head of Iran's nuclear negotiating team. In 2007, he succeeded Ali Larijani, the current parliamentary speaker, as Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator with the responsibility of dealing with the west over the Islamic republic's nuclear activities. Jalili, who has a PhD in political science from Tehran's Imam Sadeq University, was not previously a familiar face in Iranian politics until he took over the country's sensitive nuclear talks. |
| With Iran's nuclear dossier in the spotlight, Jalili has become the public face of Iran's nuclear programme, meeting with high-level western diplomats in international venues trying to find a solution to the deadlock between Tehran and the west. Under Jalili's supervision, however, Iran's nuclear programme has come under unprecedented levels of scrutiny. The US and EU have imposed an embargo on the imports of Iranian oil in recent years for the country's refusal to halt the enrichment of uranium. Jalili is a close ally of Khamenei and is seen by many as his favourite candidate. Jalili also ran Khamenei's office from 2001 for a period of four years. | With Iran's nuclear dossier in the spotlight, Jalili has become the public face of Iran's nuclear programme, meeting with high-level western diplomats in international venues trying to find a solution to the deadlock between Tehran and the west. Under Jalili's supervision, however, Iran's nuclear programme has come under unprecedented levels of scrutiny. The US and EU have imposed an embargo on the imports of Iranian oil in recent years for the country's refusal to halt the enrichment of uranium. Jalili is a close ally of Khamenei and is seen by many as his favourite candidate. Jalili also ran Khamenei's office from 2001 for a period of four years. |
| Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf | Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf |
| Ghalibaf, 52, is a former air force commander for the powerful revolutionary guards and an ex-head of the Iranian police force. He lost to Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election but succeeded him as Tehran's mayor soon after Ahmadinejad took presidential office. He has since positioned himself as a moderate politician in practice but is strongly allied with the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. | Ghalibaf, 52, is a former air force commander for the powerful revolutionary guards and an ex-head of the Iranian police force. He lost to Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election but succeeded him as Tehran's mayor soon after Ahmadinejad took presidential office. He has since positioned himself as a moderate politician in practice but is strongly allied with the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. |
| Ghalibaf, a so-called conservative "principlist", has formed a coalition with two other prominent figures with similar political leanings, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Khamenei, and Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, a former parliamentary speaker. All three men have registered but according to the coalition's plan, only one is eventually supposed to run and Ghalibaf is believed to be the favourite. | Ghalibaf, a so-called conservative "principlist", has formed a coalition with two other prominent figures with similar political leanings, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Khamenei, and Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, a former parliamentary speaker. All three men have registered but according to the coalition's plan, only one is eventually supposed to run and Ghalibaf is believed to be the favourite. |
| In a move reminiscent of the previous vote in 2009 when the opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi created a massive momentum by going green, Ghalibaf's supporters wore yellow wristbands and carried yellow banners as they welcomed their favourite potential nominee during a recent gathering, leading to speculation that he has chosen yellow as his campaign's colour. | In a move reminiscent of the previous vote in 2009 when the opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi created a massive momentum by going green, Ghalibaf's supporters wore yellow wristbands and carried yellow banners as they welcomed their favourite potential nominee during a recent gathering, leading to speculation that he has chosen yellow as his campaign's colour. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |