With only one day to the final list from the Guardian Council, Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei the spokesman of the council said only those who are “physically capable” to perform the presidential responsibilities will be approved.
The statement of Kadkhodaei could be a warning for the 78 year old two-term former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani whom his old age has been the target of criticism by his rivals and authorities.
“Hashemi Rafsanjani does not have energy to run the country,” said Gholam-Ali Hadad Adel a member of the Coalition of 2+1 and a former speaker of Iran’s Majlis.
“If I were Hashemi’s age, I would not run for president,” he said.
“Usually people with old age have their jobs done by people around them. In the case of Mr. Hashemi this is not possible because they have spent some time abroad and cannot be trusted,” said Mohammad Dehqan a member of Majlis Board of Directors.
Kadkhodaei reiterating the Guardian Council “has not any fear to disqualify outlaws” said on Sunday in an interview with Iran’s Arabic-language news Channel, Alalam : “If a candidate is able to work only several hours each day, cannot be qualified.”
“If a candidate’s belief to the principals of the Islamic Republic is undermined by his past activities, he should not expect the Guardian Council to approve him,” he said.
All Principalists would go behind of Saeed Jalili
Presidential candidate and 2+1 Coalition member Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel said “If Saeed Jalili can create an atmosphere like what Ahmadinejad created in 2005, We all should go behind him.”
Speaking to the campaigners of the coalition he also expressed his worry that the upcoming presidential election would bring conflict to the country.
Three Iranian presidential hopefuls have dropped their bid for the June 14 presidential election.
Former Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast issued a statement on Sunday saying he is no longer in the presidential race.
Davoud Ahmadinejad, the elder brother of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also withdraw in favor of the a Principalist candidate and the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili.
Mohammad Hassan Bautorabi-Fard, MP and the Candidate of the Coalition of Five issued a statement today saying he withdraw from the election race.
Some political analysis believe that the quitted candidates were informed of their disqualification in the Guardian Council, so they preferred to quit the race before the council announce the list of denied candidates.
