“In this meeting we are to clarify the procedures of the election [for the candidates] and to hear comments of the candidates,” said Kadkhodaei in a presser just before the meeting.

While the representative of Gholam Ali Hadad Adel was absent at today’s meeting. A few hours after the meeting Gholam Ali Hadad Adel issued a statement announcing his quit from the election race in favor of the “Prinipalist Candidates”. He didn’t mention name of any of the candidates.

The spokesman of the Guardian Council also denied the reports on the possibility of reconsidering qualifications of the reformist candidate Hasan Rowhani.

 Iranian Fars News Agency reported earlier today that the Guardian Council will reconsider Rowhani’s qualifications in an urgent meeting today.

“We may give notices to the candidates about some aspects of their campaigning but we not review the qualifications,” Kadkhodaei said.

At the beginning of the meeting, the represantatives of the candidates delivered a short statement about explaining their candidates’ stance on procedures of the election.

“I appreciate the Guardian Council,” said Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, the representative of Rowhani, “It can avoid any misunderstanding if we the representatives of the candidates be present during sealing of ballot boxes,” he said.

The campaing manager of another reformist candidate, Mohammad Reza Aref also said they will be committed to the law in every step of the election.

“Our slogan is commitment to the law so we accept the role of the Guardian Council in vetting the qualifications and counting of the ballots,” he said.

Shahin Mohammad-Sadeghi a representative of Ali Akbar Velayati also said his candidate is committed to the law and will abide any decision by the Guardian Council.

Ali Bagheri the representative of Saeed Jalili also underlined the “important role of the Guardian Council in the last elections” and said: “This initiative by the Guardian Council to have closely interaction with the candidates shows the council has a serious approach [to have a fair election].”

Talking to the journalists, Bagheri denied the possibility of Jalili quitting on behalf of any other Principalist candidates.

“Saeed Jalili will not quit from the race. His popularity is boosting after the TV debates,” he said.

The representatives of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mohammad Gharazi and Mohsen Rezaei endorsed the role of the Guardian Council and wished a fair election with a high turn-out.

Iranians will cast their votes on behalf of one the 8 presidential candidates on June 14. 

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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.

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