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Iran allows eight contenders for presidential election

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IANS Tehran

Iranian legislative body has approved eligibility of eight presidential candidates for the June 14 poll in the country, Xinhua reported Tuesday.

The candidates, including the country's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and former foreign minister Ali-Akbar Velayati -- for the presidential election have been approved by Iran's Guardian Council of Constitution, semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

The other main conservatives also include Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, senior lawmaker Gholam- Ali Haddad-Adel, and former senior military commander Mohsen Rezaei.

Also, Iran's former nuclear negotiator Hassan Rouhani as well as former oil and telecommunication minister Mohammad Gharazi, the moderate candidates, have been approved as qualified by the council.

 

The reports about the qualification of candidates were not officially and independently confirmed by Iran's interior ministry.

Earlier, Iran's Guardian Council of Constitution had announced that it would submit the list of approved candidates to Iranian interior ministry Tuesday which may officially announce the names Wednesday.

According to the ministry, a total of 686 candidates registered their names for the upcoming presidential election of the Islamic republic this year.

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First Published: May 22 2013 | 2:15 AM IST

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