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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Tehran ditches election 'headache' Rafsanjani |
| 2013-05-23 |
| [EURONEWS] Iran's most senior holy manal authorities have ruled out the one candidate who might have been elected president who could have led reformists: Hashemi Rafsanjani ... the fourth President of Iran. He was a member of the Assembly of Experts until he was eased out in 2011 He continues, for the moment, as Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council. In 2005 he ran for a third term as president, ultimately losing to rival Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was in Khamenei's graces back then. In 1980 Rafsanjani survived an assassination attempt, during which he was seriously injured. He has been described as a centrist and a pragmatic conservativewithout all that much reason. He is currently being eased out of any position of actual influence or power and may be dead by the end of 2012... . Not everyone was surprised, but some of the electorate are furious. The election is three weeks away. The powerful Guardian Council of the Constitution have shortlisted eight figures who will be allowed to run for office in the presidential elections. Most are loyal to the conservative Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Only two of them are pro-reform figures. [These are the former top nuclear negotiator Hasan Rowhani and former first vice president Mohammad Reza Aref. The non-reformists are Saeed Jalili, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohammad Gharazi, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Ali Akbar Velayati.] The line-up risks alienating voters already disillusioned by the violent aftermath of the 2009 poll. Rafsanjani, now 78, earned hardliners' wrath at the time for criticising authorities' treatment of protesters. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Hey, ditch elections, no more headaches. How long till it becomes clear that our regime will try the same thing? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2013-05-23 10:17 |