Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad joins presidential race again

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN (AA) - On the penultimate day of registration for Iran's snap presidential election, former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was among the high-profile names to file their nomination.

Ahmadinejad, who served as the country's president for two consecutive four-year terms between 2005 and 2013, appeared at the election headquarters in Tehran on Sunday morning, flanked by close aides.

The conservative-hardline politician, who fell out of favor with the country's top leadership after leaving office, has had no significant political activity since 2013.

He was disqualified by the Guardian Council, the top vetting body, in both the 2017 and 2021 presidential elections. In 2017, Hassan Rouhani was re-elected president, and Ebrahim Raisi was elected in 2021.

The snap presidential election is slated to be held on June 28 following the death of Raisi in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran on May 19.

Monday is the last day of registration, after which the Guardian Council will vet the candidates and release the list of qualified candidates on June 11.

The qualified candidates will have two weeks for campaigning before the polling on June 28.

After filing his nomination, Ahmadinejad said the country's problems can be solved by making the maximum use of available capacities.

He said he joined the race again "at the request of the people" and is motivated to "solve people's livelihood problems, promote and improve the business environment, end corruption, limit the government's excessive interference, open up the area for entrepreneurs, and create a platform for investments."

So far, many prominent figures have joined the race for the presidency, including former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, Tehran Mayor and former presidential candidate Alireza Zakani, former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, former top banker and presidential candidate Abdolnasser Hemmati, and Culture Minister Mohammad Mahdi Esmaili.

Acting President Mohammad Mokhber has refused to join the race, while Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who was re-elected parliament speaker earlier this week, has given no clear indication of his plans.