Daily Briefing: 2013 Iran Election

Iran Election Update
June 21, 2013: Election Results

Khabar Online asks, "Will former President Mohammed Khatami and Mohammed Aref work in the Rouhani government, and what does the leader of the reformist government want from the newly elected president?" Khabar Online posts a transcript of a lengthy television interview on the Iranian political show "Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow," in which Akbar Torkan, former defense minister and senior advisor to president-elect Hassan Rouhani criticized the parliament and judiciary. "Some people are elected into parliament with the help of certain individuals and once they are a member of parliament that MP becomes indebted to that individual. This is where corruption starts," said Torkan. The Supreme Leaders deputy representative to the Revolutionary Guards, Hojatoleslam Haj Sadeghi, claims that President Ahmadinejad asked Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to intervene in the presidential election on three occasions in order to help his close confidant and disqualified presidential candidate Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, but the Supreme Leader did not accept his demands. While speaking to university students, former presidential candidate Mohammed Aref said, "There should be no doubt as to whether I will work and cooperate with the new government." He continued, "There is a sense of hope in our dear country and during these past few days people have been happily celebrating in the streets and we haven't heard any chants such as 'death to so-and-so' and this is very valuable." During Friday Prayers, interim Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahhedi Kermani praised the voter turnout in the presidential election and called Hassan Rouhani an "insightful manager." He also noted that the incoming president has his work cut out for him in naming a cabinet and selecting advisors and deputies. This is a very difficult task...he should choose those who have proved their allegiance to the Leadership and their concern for the Islamic Revolution. Our brother Mr. Rouhani should select such individuals who are compassionate and servants to the nation, Kermani added. Following the many reports of rumored cabinet candidates for the new Rouhani administration, a source close to Rouhani denied the rumors and said that he has not yet decided upon cabinet positions. PressTV reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called for Rouhanis presence in the upcoming Geneva international conference on Syria. "We believe that Irans president-elect should participate in the Geneva II conference on Syria," said Lavrov. He emphasized that Iran and all neighboring countries to Syria which are directly linked to the crisis in the Arab country and host Syrian refugees should be invited to the forum.
By Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani
Additional Iran Election Updates are available here. Election date was June 14, 2013.

President-elect Hassan Rouhani met with the director of state television IRIB Ezzatollah Zarghami and said, Whatever has happened is now in the past. In order to realize the ideals of the Islamic Revolution we must put effort toward the path of moderation and toward the future of the country. Former presidential candidate Mohammed Reza Aref met with a group of female reformist activists and said, God willing we will strengthen the foundation of NGOs, and our first priority is the work of women who are comprised of 50% of the population. He continued, Everyone needs to help out the new president-elect Mr. Rouhani and he shouldnt have to feel like people are imposing on him. President-elect Rouhani said, We are indebted to the epic guidelines set forth by the Supreme Leader, and we must thank the great lord for providing the capacity of such a presidential victory. He continued, I need to thank and show my appreciation to all of the educators, scholars, writers, teachers, and young people who took part in this passionate electionas well Dr. Mohammed Aref, Mr. Rafsanjani, and Mr. Khatami. The head of the Iranian elections outside of Iran, Seyed Javad Sajjadi, said that out of the 36,704,156 people who voted in this years presidential election, 5 million of them were Iranians outside of the country. The Iranian diaspora was able to cast ballots at more than 290 voting stations in 96 different countries around the world. The editor of Mehr News, Reza Moghadassi, said the media in this years presidential election had a huge influence and effect on the peoples participation. PressTV reports that Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki congratulated president-elect Rouhani in a telephone conversation and said Irans new president is capable of resolving major problems in the region and the Muslim world. He said that his country has pinned its hopes on Iran's president-elect to solve the problems that the region and the Muslim world are currently grappling with, including the conflict in Syria. ISNA posted a series of photos of current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad meeting with members of the Iranian National Soccer Team in the wake of their recent qualification into the 2014 World Cup, which will be held in Brazil. Jahan News provides an informative and complete list of all the candidates in the local and city council elections and the final results in all 30 provinces. The report says that the principalist faction won the majority of the seats in all 30 provinces. The official results are: principalist candidates won 60% of the seats, independents won 33%, and reformists won 17% of the seats. In the wake of reports in the Iranian media about possible cabinet positions in the Rouhani government, prominent Tehran-based political analyst and University of Tehran political science professor Sadegh Zibakalam sat down for an interview with Jahan News and provided a few suggestions for president-elect Rouhani. "The future government can use (former presidential candidates) Mr. Aref as vice president, Mr. Qalibaf as minister of roads and urban planning, Mr. Velayati as foreign minister, Mr. Rezaei as minister of economic affairs, and Mr. Gharazi as the minister of industry and mines," said Zibakalam.

Former president Hashemi Rafsanjani said, The most important task for the future government is to continue to strengthen and create hope amongst the people. He continued, The new president is expected to use this period of opportunity to efficiently make use of a skilled and sincere study of the situation, which is a precondition for change, to resolve day-t0-day economic problems, and to strengthen and sustain religious, national, and revolutionary values, as well as the hopes that have been created in the peoples hearts. In a long-worded statement published on his personal website, former president Mohammed Khatami said, Lets be careful not to rush judgment, so we dont have misplaced expectations for the government. The Interior Ministry released a full breakdown of city, county, and provincial votes from last weeks presidential election. The interactive webpage allows readers to search for specific information. Prominent political analyst and University of Tehran political science professor Sadegh Zibakalam claims, There is no way Mr. Rouhani would have withdrawn in favor of (reformist candidate) Mr. Aref in the election. Rouhanis chances with interacting and working within the system are much greater than Arefs. He continued, Rouhani has dealt with the Guardian Council, conservatives and principalists, Friday Imams, Kayhan (a conservative newspaper), and other forcesRouhani is better suited than Aref in interacting with these forces. The powerful Guardian Council that vets presidential candidates officially announced the authenticity of the presidential election and confirmed the final results. The head of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Ayatollah Gholamreza MesbahiMoghadam, said, There were several factors that came together in the election victory of Hassan Rouhani such as inflation, volatility, poor management, and currency devaluations, but Mr. Rafsanjanis support of him was highly effective. Reformist parliamentarian Hussein Amiri Khamkany said, I believe that the new (Rouhani) government will be formed with moderate conservatives and reformists. Former presidential candidate Gholam Reza Haddad Adel congratulated the new president-elect Hassan Rouhani and said that the conservative faction is ready to work with the future government. The Deputy Speaker of Parliament and former presidential candidate Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi Fard also met with the new president as they discussed current issues plaguing Iran and said, The Parliament is prepared to provide the highest level of cooperation with the new president in his formation of a new cabinet.
Former presidential candidate Mohammed Reza Aref said, We shouldnt have a security atmosphere surrounding NGOs as they are helpful in solving social crises. He continued, The future government cannot continue the approach of the current government. The security environment must be removed from all sectors of society and especially with NGOs. Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, the spokesman for the parliaments Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, said, The election of Mr. Rouhani has provided him an opportunity to take advantage of the other presidential candidates proposed governmental programs such as Mr. Rezaeis economic plan, Mr. Jalilis foreign policy plan, and Mr. Qalibafs urban planning and operations. In an interview with Khabar Online, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Reza Bahonar said, I dont have anything specific suggestions for Mr. Rouhani. From what I know about Mr. Rouhani, he is a man of belief and a moderate. He has provided ideal conditions for determining his cabinet, and I hope Mr. Rouhani uses precision in choosing his partners in government.

Outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with his successor Hassan Rouhani for one hour today behind closed doors and spoke about a range of issues regarding the country. One of the topics discussed was a joint committee to be formed by both presidents to help with the transition and resolve the countys problems more efficiently. YJC.IR posted photos of the meeting. Inauguration day for new president-elect Hassan Rouhani will be held on August 14 at the parliament building in Tehran according to MP Alireza Manadi Safidan. After a meeting with president-elect Hassan Rouhani, former presidential candidate Ali Akbar Velayati said, Mr. Rouhani can promote the countrys affairs in a good manner. He was asked by a reporter, Some media sources are reporting that you might replace Saeed Jalili on the National Security Council, have there been suggestions of you joining the Rouhani government? Velayati did not answer the reporters question. The spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Abbas Araghchi thanked the Iranian diaspora for their support and commitment to the Islamic Republic as they voted in one of the 300 voting stations in 96 different countries around the globe. Regarding the ongoing nuclear negotiations, Araghchi also said, "We have also heard the news about the continuation of talks between Iran and P5+1 from media sources, but no official news has reached us yet. Naturally new negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 will be relegated to the new Rouhani administration. During a meeting with development officials, academics, and political activists from Khuzestan Province, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani said, In this election the people have chosen a path of moderation and rationality, and have outlined a future direction (for the country). Mehr News posted photos of the meeting. President-elect Hassan Rouhani congratulated the Iranian National Soccer teams win today over South Korea and entry into the 2014 World Cup. I am sure this success (of qualifying into the World Cup) will be a preface to larger victories and will lead the Islamic Republics powerful presence into other areas. Prominent University of Tehran political science professor Sadegh Zibakalam said, Hassan Rouhani has not held a special position (in government) in the past 8 years, therefore he cannot really be called a Principalist. He continued, "The disqualification of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani created a set of unsatisfied opinions which were channeled after his endorsement of Mr. Rouhani. Zibakalam also believed that messages addressed to former president Mohammed Khatami threatening him of disqualification if he ran for presidency, directly and indirectly, also mobilized a great portion of reformist votes toward Rouhani.
Hamid Ghazvini, the spokesperson for the Reformist Coordination Council, said, The reformist candidates that won in the Tehran city council elections did so without any campaign advertisements. In an interview with Asr-Iran News, MP Ismail Kowsari claims, Former presidents Mohammed Khatami and Hashemi Rafsanjani have nothing to do with Hassan Rouhani being elected as president. In an op-ed, Jahan News asked, Why hasnt former president Mohammed Khatami congratulated president-elect Hassan Rouhani? four days after his election. The author speculates that the root of this stems from a lack of a clear reform position by Rouhani, as well as reports of bitter opposition amongst reformist members during their final meeting prior to election day, in which they ended up endorsing Rouhani as their presidential candidate. President-elect Hassan Rouhani won the election by a large margin nationwide among his competitors in cities and the countryside. Even in the most populated Tehran Province, Rouhani received 1,326,964 votes while the second-place finisher Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf received 725,854 votes. Mehr News posted photos of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he inaugurated 10,000 new Mehr apartment units in the northern city of Hashtgerd in the Alborz Province.

Mehr News covers new president-elect Hassan Rouhani as he held his first press conference today and announced, I am the president of all (Iranian) people and not just a few. Rouhani thanked all of his supporters and suggested to look ahead to the future and not dwell on the past. He also touched on a number of subjects such as sanctions; unemployment, the economy, and inflation; Syria; relations with the U.S, the U.K., and Saudi Arabia; and even sports. Mehr News also posted a series of photos of todays event. LenzIran posted a few video clips of todays press conference with new president-elect Hassan Rouhani. At one point during the Q&A, a blind journalist tells Rouhani that he is an Ahmadinejad supporter and asks him if he will be retaining or letting people go from Ahmadinejads administration. Rouhani thanks the man and says, We told people we have a key not a bus! This was a reference to Rouhanis campaign of the use of a key as a key of hope and that the bus wont be giving everyone a ride. A reporter from the reformist newspaper Etemad also asked Rouhani, You said during the campaign that you will get rid of the security atmosphere that surrounds politics, my question to you is whats your plan and how will you deal with political prisoners (Mousavi and Karroubi) now imprisoned that were once leaders during the Iranian Revolution? Rouhani answered, I am positive about this, but we should know that one president or one judiciary cannot solve this situation, all three branches will need to work together but I am completely hopeful that this (security) environment will change. Toward the end of the session, Rouhani prepares to leave the conference hall and someone in the crowd shouted, Mousavi should be here! His comment was met with applause. Mehr News posted photos taken over the weekend of Hassan Rouhani visiting the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini after his win in the presidential election. He was accompanied by the grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, Hassan Khomeini. Also posted were multiple sets of photos of jubilant Iranians in Tehran celebrating the election win of Rouhani: set Two, set Three, set Four. Jahan News published the reaction of the editor of the conservative newspaper Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, as he tries to explain the reasons as to why Hassan Rouhani was able to be elected as president. "Attempts are being made to show that Hassan Rouhani owes his presidency to the support he received from reformists. He continues, "It must be said that not only does Rouhani not feel obligated to reformists, but it is reformists who should thank Rouhani as his rise to power provides them an occasion to return to the political stage, he added. Mehr News announced the official results of the Tehran city council elections. Voter turnout was above 50%, which is unprecedentedly high according to Esi Farhadi, the governor of Tehran. The current Chairman of the City Council of Tehran and veteran politician Mehdi Chamran received the most votes with 566,614 votes.
Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Secretary of Hezbollah, and Bashar Al-Assad, the president of Syria, both sent messages of congratulations to the new president-elect Hassan Rouhani. The Prime Minister of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, also sent Rouhani a congratulatory message saying, "On behalf of the Palestinian people and the State of Palestine, I offer you and the dear Iranian nation congratulationswe are hopeful this choice maintains prosperity, development, and strengthening national resistance against the oppressive colonial powers. In an interview, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Reza Bahonar said, President-elect Rouhani is non-partisan and other political parties should not feel defeated because his win is a win for the Iranian nation and national unity. Former presidential candidate Mohammed Reza Aref said, The people have shown that they appreciate convergence and understanding as many (prior to election day) said that they would not vote, and that my encouragement (in telling people to vote) was extremely valuable. ILNA in an article asked, Where is the birthplace of Hassan Rouhani, and gives a history of the city of Sorkheh in the northern Semnan Province, which is the birthplace of the new president-elect. Since the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran there have been 10 different Ministers of Culture and Guidance. In the wake of the election of Hassan Rouhani, the new president will be responsible in naming the new minister of culture to replace Mohammed Hosseini, who was chosen by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. ISNA provides short biographies and pictures of the previous ten ministers.

ISNA reports that the Ministry of Interior has announced that Hassan Rouhani
is the new elected president of Iran, securing more than 18,613,329 votes. Fars News published Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis post-election message as he thanks the Iranian people for their participation in the elections and Hassan Rouhani for his election as president. With epic participation of the people, our enemies have now become jealous, and the vote nullified plots of all ill-wishers, he wrote. The post-election message contains six important recommendations to the new president-elect and the Iranian people. Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani said, If the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran want to be fair and just, they need to accept that there is no doubt that Iran had one of the most democratic elections in the world. Iran's Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said, Out of over 50 million eligible voters, the official participation rate for this years presidential election is 72.7%. Fars News posts a series of photos of Najjar before, during, and after the official announcement of the election results. President Ahmadinejad released his official statement praising the Iranian people and the establishments achievements, and congratulating new president-elect Hassan Rouhani by saying, Congratulations to his excellency Mr. Hassan Rouhani who has been entrusted by the people and our dear nation with gratitude and affection as he will serve and work to provide justice and prosperity to the nation. Fars News provides the official statements of congratulations to the new president-elect from all the other candidates in this years presidential race. Mehr News provides a series of photos that reveal election officials tediously hand-counting official presidential ballots. The commander of the Basij, Mohammad Reza Naqdi declared, The Iranian nations massive tsunami of voter participation has cracked the White House, and reveals that western media is weaker than it actually is as they werent able to keep Iranians from staying at home and not voting.
Iranian reporter Borzou Daragahi provides a helpful and simple spreadsheet breakdown of the votes tallied for each candidate. Daragahi also writes, Iran never fails to surprise even seasoned observers like me, who pretty much figured the regime would just engineer a victory for Jalili or Ghalibaf this time. Perhaps spooked by the 2009 uprising and the Arab Spring revolts, it looks like this time the regime is actually counting the ballots in its pre-constrained election andlo and beholdthe vote counting is taking just as long as it would in any developing country (as opposed to 2009's ultra-fast results, even before polls closed) and that the reformist-backed moderate green candidate is walloping the avowedly hardline and conservative candidates. Today confirms all that we saw on the ground in 2009a hastily forged election result contrived without even counting the ballots. Abas Aslani, the general director of Fars News, tweets that former candidate Mohammed Reza Aref will be Rouhanis vice president in his new cabinet. This Twitter photo shows Iranians celebrating the Rouhani victory at Daneshjoo Park at the four-way intersection of Vali Asr Blvd, one of the busiest intersections in Tehran. These photos show people celebrating in Tabriz and Mashhad. A Twitter photo of celebrations in Fatimeh Square in Tehran was also posted.

June 14, 2013: Election Day (Part 2)
Outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voted today and was accompanied by his Vice President Mohammed Reza Rahimi and the governments official spokesperson Gholam-Hossein Elham. ISNA posts a series of photos of the president voting for the last time while in office, as does Fars News. After voting with his wife and son on Election Day, former president Hashemi Rafsanjani said, I hope the results of this election will lead to national unity. Fars News predicts that there will be a record-breaking election participation rate and provides a province-by-province summary breakdown of election participation. Abas Aslani, general director for Fars News, through a series of Tweets, said that a second round runoff vote is likely to occur, and that the deputy director of the Iranian state TV is preparing to organize second-round televised debates between the two candidates who will be atop of todays election polls. The Deputy Governor of Tehran Saeed Ahmadi Shahrki, announced that the polls have officially closed and that votes are being counted in the last remaining voting province, the Tehran Province. Even though there has been an extension for the voting deadline in the Tehran Province, Mohmmad Nasrati of the Interior Ministry announced that ballots are beginning to be counted in the smaller cities and village. Ali Abdullah, the Secretary of the Interior Ministry, said, Currently, security forces have had no instances of security threats involving the elections. English news PressTV reports that the Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, said over 450 foreign reporters are covering the elections. An Instagram user in Iran named hoorahoora posted a picture of Fakhrosadat Mohtashamipour wearing green colors and voting at the Hosseinieh Ershad Mosque voting station. She is the wife of the well-known and outspoken jailed reformist politician Mostafa Tajzadeh. Former female Iranian vice president Masoumeh Ebtekar said she does not expect todays presidential election to go to a second round and hopes her candidate, Hassan Rouhani, will emerge as the winner. I dont think there will be a second run. I hope not, said Ebtekar, We see rising support for Rouhani.
Fars News posts a series of multiple sets of photos of Iranians in specific cities voting at the ballot box: voters in Kermanshah; voters in Isfahan; voters literally in the water on the Persian Gulf; voters in the earthquake-stricken region of Arasbaran; voters in Qom. There are also three general sets of voters from around the country: set one, set two, set three, set four. ISNA posts more sets of photos of Iranians voting at the ballot box. Set six, set seven reveals a bride and groom voting on their wedding day, set eight, set nine, set ten, set eleven. ISNA posts a series of photos of Iranians in London voting at the Iranian Embassy. ILNA posts multiple sets of photos of Iranians voting on Election Day in Mashhad, as well as other general sets of photos of Iranian voters at the ballot box: set one, set two, set three, set four, set five.
Additional Iran Election Updates are available here. Election date is June 14, 2013.

June 14, 2013: Election Day (Part 1)
Fars News posts photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei casting the first ballot of the day and saying, The fate of the country and the prosperity of the nation are dependent on the participation and the peoples selection, and the nations votes are trusted in the hands of the election officials. Mehr News reports former candidate Mohammed Reza Aref predicting that over 70% of the people will vote in the presidential election and that the election will be stretched to a second round run-off vote. Mehr News posts a series of photos of former candidate Mohammed Reza Aref who voted early in the morning alongside his wife at the crowded Hosseiniyeh Ershad Mosque, which has symbolic value for Iranian reformists. Aref was asked what candidates should do once the election is over. Aref responded, They should thank those who worked for alongside them and congratulate the victor. ISNA posts photos of former president Mohammed Khatami enthusiastically voting today. Photos of Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, Saeed Jalili, Mohsen Rezaei, Ali Akbar Velayati, and former president Hashemi Rafsanjani were all posted as well. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani voted at the Imam Askari Mosque in the city of Qom today and afterwards said, Today Iran is faced with cruel and international pressure, and the power of the participation of the people has given the system double the amount of energy, which will provide fundamental changes to our international situation. ISNA posted photos of Larijani voting today. The governor of Tehran announced that there will be 12,000 officials supervising the polling stations around the country for the presidential and local city elections. Fars News posts a series of photos of election officials with their security escorts delivering ballot boxes to their respective polling stations. Mehr News posts photos of ballot box distribution as well. ISNA posts photos of the Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic voting today, photos of current candidate Mohammed Gharazi, as well as photos of former candidate Gholam Reza Hadad Adel voting. Fars News posts a set of photos of Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi voting today in the city of Qom, as well as photos of the Chairman of the Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, voting in a neighborhood near the University of Imam Sadegh in Tehran. ISNA posts six sets of photos of Iranians voting in Tehran. Set one, Set two, Set three, Set four, Set five, Set six.
Additional Iran Election Updates are available here.

June 13, 2013
The U.S.-based Information and Public Opinion Solutions (IPOS) poll shows candidate Hassan Rouhani surging to 31.7% and Qalibaf in second with 24%. There are still 42.2% of respondents who say they are undecided for tomorrow. During a speech for a group of supporters yesterday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei asked Iranians to vote because some might not want to support the Islamic Republic for their own reasons, but they do want to support their country so they should also vote." In an interview with Mehr News discussing the vetting process of candidates, the spokesperson of the Guardian Council, Abbass Ali Kadkhodaei, said, The Guardian Council can review a candidates competence up to Election Day. This YouTube clip shows people chanting at yesterdays Hassan Rouhani campaign rally in Mashhad. The packed stadium chants, If there's cheating, Iran will turn into a battlefield! On the eve of the presidential election, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad released a statement that said, I believe in the nations faith and intelligence, and a new era will begin on June 14th. The BBC condemned "unprecedented levels of intimidation" of BBC employees' families by Iran ahead of its presidential elections. It said Iran had warned the families of 15 BBC Persian Service staff that they must stop working for the BBC or their lives in London would be endangered. The family members were threatened that they may lose jobs and be barred from traveling abroad. The speaker of parliament, Ali Larijani, explained why he chose not to run as a candidate in this years election by saying, In this years presidential election, there are individuals (candidates) with different views so I felt that my candidacy wasnt needed. He also said that remaining as the head of parliament was more appropriate. ILNA posts photos of candidate Hassan Rouhanis enormous campaign rally yesterday at one of the busiest squares in Tehran, Vanak Square. ISNA posts a series of photos taken around Tehran on the last night of campaigning that reveal a city covered in campaign leaflets. Mehr News also posts photos of Iranians taking to the street and campaigning during the last day of the campaigning period. An Iranian citizen has reportedly put his vote for sale on EBay for 99 Euros, according to Guardian journalist Saeed Kamali Dehghan. The seller of the vote only has one stipulation about who his vote will go toward as he writes in the EBay description, I will vote for anyone you want except for Mr. Jalili.

June 12, 2013
The U.S.-based Information and Public Opinion Solutions (IPOS), an international public opinion and research consultancy that claims to conduct the only tracking poll on Iranian presidential elections, released their latest polling data today. Hassan Rouhani leads all candidates with 26%, followed by Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf with 24%, and Saeed Jalili in third place with 13%. Iranian-American journalist Negar Mortazavi tweeted a picture of the results. IPOS says it bases its data on daily phone interviews with a sample size of 1,000 people. Last week Qalibaf was a favorite in the IPOS poll leading with 39% while 57% of the voters contacted were still undecided. According to Iran's permanent ambassador to the UN, Mohammad Khazaee, Iranians living in the United States can cast their ballots at some 20 polling stations set up for the upcoming presidential vote in Iran. The number of polling stations across the states depends on the local population of Iranian expatriates, Khazaee said. "Six of these 20 stations will be set up in California and the remaining 14 in the states of New York, New Jersey, Washington, Maryland, and Virginia," he explained. In a nationally televised debate, spokesmen for the Rouhani and Jalili campaign debated their respective candidates political and social positions. At one point Mahmoud Vaezi, a spokesperson for the Rouhani camp, said, Jalili is a follower of an extremist foreign policy much like Talibans. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani said, The revolution will receive new energy with the peoples vote. In an interview with Khabar Online, candidate Ali Akbar Velayati said, The people are ready for some calmness, and I think those interested in economic, political, and cultural development will vote for me. In order to get out the vote, former president Hashemi Rafsanjani said, People that say our vote has no effect or still have doubts, they must be told that their actions are the same as those who say voting is just a show. At a campaign rally in a stadium in Shiraz, supporters of Hassan Rouhani once again began to chant Mir Hossein Mousavis name. Additionally, ILNA posts photos of the youthful and jubilant crowd of men and women supporters sporting the color purple and cheering for Rouhani. YJC.IR news also posted photos of the massive amount of supporters. Kaleme News reports Zahra Mousavi, the daughter of Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard, said her parents are declining to make any comments on the approaching election. According to Zahra, her parents are being kept completely in the dark and have no sense of the social atmosphere of the country; they prefer not make any comments regarding participation in or boycotting of the election.
YJC.IR news posts a video clip of a BBC Persian reporter asking people in northern Tehran whether they will vote in the upcoming election. The majority of people choose not to speak with the reporter because he represents the BBC. ISNA posted photos of candidate Hassan Rouhani receiving a huge crowd while campaigning in Mashhad. Meanwhile, an Instagram user in Mashhad posted photos of security forces on hand to keep control of the large crowds. Candidate Saeed Jalili posted photos on his Instagram account of the large group of supporters as well as conservatively dressed women attending his campaign rally at the Heidarnia Martyr Sports Complex in Tehran. Golnaz Esfandiari of RFERL (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) tweeted a picture of a sign at a Jalili campaign meeting that reads, Today's meeting is reserved for men, with apologies to our respected sisters. YJC.IR news posts photos of Hassan Rouhani campaigning in one of the biggest squares in Tehran, Vanak Square in front of a large crowd of passionate and youthful supporters. Iranian-American journalist Negar Mortazavi tweeted a picture of vast procession of Rouhani supporters making their way north from Vanak Square up to Park Vey in Tajrish. YJC.IR news also posted photos of Ali Akbar Velayati in Tabriz. ISNA posted a series of photos of the election campaign ads around the city of Arak, and ILNA posted photos of Iranians in Tehran enthusiastically campaigning (some with drums and traditional clothing) for their respective candidates in the streets of Tehran. ILNA also posts photos of candidate Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf campaigning in front of men, women, and children at Palestine Square in Tehran. ISNA posted photos of Ali Akbar Velayati in the city of Rasht speaking to supporters, in addition to Qalibaf speaking to supporters in the city of Khomeyn. Iranian-American journalist Negar Mortazavi tweeted multiple pictures today of the large Hassan Rouhani campaign rally in one of the busiest squares in Tehran. Pictures showed a large crowd and women supporters. Today is the last day of campaigning as it is illegal for candidates to campaign 24 hours before the election. Today in Qazvin, after a speech by politician Eshagh Jahangiri, who supports Rouhani, students spilled into the streets and began to sing the classical protest song of 1979 and 2009, "Yare Dabestan."

June 11, 2013
Reformist candidate Mohammed Reza Aref withdrew his candidacy at the behest of former president Mohammed Khatami. In consideration of Mr. Khatami's explicit opinion, and the experiences of two past presidential elections, I declare my withdrawal from the election campaign, he said. President Ahmadinejad said that neither his government nor he will openly support any of the presidential candidates. The president is a public servant and only has one vote, and only I know who I will vote for. Former president Hashemi Rafsanjani openly backed Hassan Rouhani at a press conference today in front of students and reporters. ISNA posts a series of photos of Rafsanjani during todays press conference. On his personal website, former president Khatami declared that his vote will go to Hassan Rouhani. Tabnak News posts photos of candidate Mohsen Rezaei receiving a warm greeting from many supporters in the streets and photos of Rezaei speaking to supporters in the Ilam province. ISNA posts some photos of supporters openly campaigning for their respective candidates in public. ILNA posts a series of photos of candidate Saeed Jalili campaigning in front of a packed stadium of men and women in the northeastern city of Mashhad, as well as photos of Jalili speaking to a group of students in Mashhad. Fars News posts photos of Ali Akbar Velayati campaigning and speaking to supporters in the Hormozgan Province and photos of election campaign ads around the city of Tabriz. Asr-Iran Newss latest poll asks its readers who they will vote for this week. With almost 39,000 people responding, Hassan Rouhani is in the lead with 75% with Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf in second with 7% and Saeed Jalili in third place with 6%. Fars News conducted their own nationwide poll asking more than 22,000 people their opinions about the elections and calculates that Qalibaf and Jalili are the top two candidates and that they will reach the second round of voting. The Iran Media Program provides a summary and analysis in English of Iranian newspapers and their reporting and handling of the presidential elections as well as endorsements. The Secretary General of the Womens Society of Iran, Zahra Mostafavi, who is also the daughter of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, released an official statement from their organization saying that the group was officially backing candidate Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani is the best suited candidate in this current difficult situation, because of his track record of diplomatic activity, and policies in dealing with the various factions and political groups. Influential MP Ali Motahari said, No one can predict who will win the elections, but the prospects of Rouhani reaching the second round of voting (in a run-off) are very high. Candidate Ali Akbar Velayati said that current sanctions arent just pieces of torn paper, and Iran should engage the world in effective diplomacy. This was a reference to how President Ahmadinejad has described sanctions in the past. The Daily Star of Lebanon reports that Seyyed Reza Taghavi, the head of the Policymaking Council for Friday Imams, said, Irans next president will play a role in setting the countrys foreign policy tone, but certain principles on issues such as nuclear rights, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon will remain unchangedbased on our constitution, strategic policies are determined by the supreme leader.

June 10, 2013
Mehr News confirms that candidate Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel has withdrawn his candidacy in favor of the other two members of his 2+1 Coalition. Haddad-Adel said he stepped aside after evaluating the situation and the realities on the ground. In an official statement today, he said he would continue to help the Principlist camp win the election regardless of his withdrawal. Tabnak news posted photos of presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei campaigning to large crowds of men and women in Kermanshah. Tabnak also posted a series of pictures specifically of youth supporters of Rezaei. ISNA posted a series of photos of candidate Ali Akbar Velayati taking a tour of the Tehran Grand bazaar and speaking with supporters in the walkways of the bazaar as well as the mosque, in addition to a series of photos of candidate Saeed Jalili campaigning in the northern city of Bandar Abbas. Photos of candidate Mohammed Aref reveal him campaigning in Kerman as well as in the city of Khoramabad in front of a raucous crowd of men and women with one supporter wearing an armband that read, Campaign of hope. Mehr News posted photos of Mohammed Gharazi at a press conference in Tehran, as well as Mohammed Aref campaigning to yet another lively crowd in the city of Yazd. ISNA asks its readers which candidate, in their opinion, out of the 2+1 Coalition (that consists of Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, Ali Akbar Velayati, and Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf), should withdraw in favor of the other two members? Over 13,000 voters responded and they overwhelmingly chose Haddad-Adel with 47 percent; 4 percent chose Qalibaf and 3 percent chose Velayati while 43 percent chose neither of the three. ISNA also asked its reader the same question regarding the prospective coalition of candidates Hassan Rouhani and Mohammed Aref, and out of over 16,000 people that voted, almost 70 percent of respondents said that Aref should withdraw in favor of Rouhani; 13 percent said Rouhani should withdraw while 17 percent said neither. Candidate Hassan Rouhani promised that if elected, on day one of his administration he will tackle the sensitive issue of the drying of Lake Urumiyeh in the Azerbaijan region of Iran. Rouhani also said it was up to the people, and not the government, to decide whether they should be able to learn their native tongue (formally in school). Different dialects of Farsi such as Azeri and Kurdish, for instance, have been outlawed in formal education. Rouhani likewise stated that the rights of minority citizens such as Baluchis, Arabs, and Turkmen will be equal to that of the majority.
English News PressTV reports on all the candidates for the day. Mohsen Rezaei said people from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds enjoy equal rights in Iran. During a speech in the western city of Sanandaj in the Kurdistan Province, Rezaei also promised to protect the civil rights of Iran's Kurdish population if he wins the election and swore to include prominent Kurdish figures in his future administration. Meanwhile, Mohammed Aref urged reformists to take part in the upcoming presidential and city council elections, saying those who do not vote are not reformist. Ali Akbar Velayati said he would work in line with Islamic values and the guidelines of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to solve Irans foreign policy problems. Saeed Jalili highlighted the importance of Irans territorial integrity and said that the status of the three disputed Persian Gulf islands with the UAE is non-negotiable. And, finally, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf pledged to fix Irans economy in two years if elected president. Hamid Aref, the son of presidential candidate Mohammed Aref, said Don't expect a coalition (with candidate Hassan Rouhani). BBC Persian provides a video clip of supporters of candidate Mohammed Aref in the city of Yazd chanting the name of Mir Hussain Mousavi as well as demanding the freedom of political prisoners. Mohamedreza Tabesh, a reformist member in Parliament, said, We (reformists) have come to the decision that Hassan Rouhani is our candidate in the election.

June 7, 2013
The third televised presidential debate centered on foreign policy, factionalism, public security, and censorship. All eight candidates sought to highlight their views against their competitors. Joanna Paraszczuk of Enduring America and Al-Jazeera English summarized the debate by providing the main highlights of the debate via Twitter. Khabar Online provides a transcript of the latest debate titling it, 150 minutes of heated discussion on domestic and foreign politics. English news PressTV also provides a text summary of the third debate. The YJC.IR posts photos of supporters of the candidates celebrating and campaigning in the streets after the debate finished. The ILNA online poll that earlier this week had candidate Hassan Rouhani in an overwhelming lead has now changed. After the two debates on culture and security issues, the results have become a virtual three-way tie with Mohsen Rezaei in the lead with 31%, Hassan Rouhani with 30%, and Mohammed Reza Aref with 28%. On the other hand, JamNews has conducted its own online survey after the debates and reveals the unpredictability of online polling. Their poll has Qalibaf in the lead with 50% and Jalili with 46%, leaving all others in the dust. Khabar Online had its own poll after the latest debate as well asking its readers, Which candidates views are closer to yours? Rouhani led all with 48% followed by Aref with 25% and Rezaei with 9%. The polling websites indicate political affiliation is important when considering the results, but it is fair to say that with almost a week left until election day, Rouhani, Afef, Qalibaf, and Jalili are the polling favorites. It should be noted that Mohsen Rezaei has been making a comeback in polling as well. Mehrnaz Samimi of Al-Monitor (English) writes about candidate Mohammed Reza Aref standing out as the lone reformist and the one contender who regularly appears at campaign events accompanied by his wife Hamideh Moravvej, as opposed to candidate Saeed Jalili, for instance, who recently said women should stay at home and have children. She (Moravvej) is pushing boundaries in her frequent campaign appearances and style of dress. The Qazvin News Network provides an interesting and private look into the lives of all eight candidates by providing photos and a brief summary of the presidential candidates and their children. Jalili has one child (Mehr News also published a photo of Jalilis child a week ago during Friday prayers), Hadad-Adel has four, Rezaei has four, Aref has three, Qalibaf has three, Velayati has six, Rouhani has four (no photo provided for him as the author claims his family stays out of public view), and Gharazi has four children, respectively. BBC News English provides a glimpse into the worries of small-town voters in the run-up to this years presidential election. Yahoo News (English) also offers a report on the delicate tightrope that is the work of newspaper cartoonists in Iran as they are dodging moving red lines as the election approaches.
On a Facebook page created by candidate Hassan Rouhanis Youth Campaign of supporters, a picture has been posted with Rouhani side-by-side with former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammed Khatemi. The picture has a green tint and announces a press conference for this Saturday in Shiroudi Stadium in Tehran. There have been rumors and talk this week of Rouhani creating a coalition with Mohammed Reza Aref. English News PressTV reports that Mohammed Reza Aref has urged a massive turnout in the upcoming presidential elections and voters to vote for the reformist camp. A short video clip with English subtitles is included. Arefs Facebook page posts a video of the candidate meeting Mohammad Reza Taleghani. Taleghani was a former world-class wrestler as well as former commissioner of Irans Wrestling Federation. The former commissioner tells Aref how Iranian sports are not developed enough and that the Iranian people are thirsty for sports. The ISNA posts photos of presidential campaign posters and pictures around Tehran as well as photos of energetic crowds during Friday prayers campaigning for their respective candidates. Photos of candidate Mohammed Reza Aref meeting his enthusiastic crowds of supporters in Kermanshah are also documented by the ISNA. Tabnak News posts photos of Mohsen Rezaei campaigning in front of a raucous crowd in the city of Isfahan.

June 6, 2013
During the televised presidential debate on culture last night, candidate Mohammed Reza Aref criticized the current government for wasting an important cultural opportunity when Asghar Farhadi, the director of the Oscar-winning film A Separation, gave his acceptance speech as a message of peace to the world. We werent able to use this opportunity or its potential for cultural diplomacy with the world, said Aref. An op-ed in Jahan News highly criticizes candidate Mohammed Reza Aref and asks, Mr. Aref, how well do you know your cultural figures? During the presidential debate on culture, Aref mentioned Oscarwinning director Asghar Farhadi and world-renowned Persian classical singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian. The article reveals photos of Farhadi and Shajarian shaking hands, sitting next to each other, and cheek-kissing unveiled women, which is frowned upon in the eyes of the Islamic Republic. Asr-Iran has conducted it latest poll and asks its readers, No matter who you want to vote for, after watching the second debate regarding culture and society, which candidate in your opinion sounded the most logical and practical (about culture)? As of Thursday afternoon, over 65,000 people voted and overwhelmingly chose Hassan Rouhani as he led with 57%. Coming in second was Mohammed Reza Aref with 15%, and Mohsen Rezaei following him with 12%. All the other candidates had 5% or less. Tabnak posts a set of photos of Mohsen Rezaei campaigning in the city of Shahrekord in the Bakhtiari province. Large amounts of supporters came out to hear his speech in the main square where Rezaei pledged to diversify Irans economy and wean it off oil revenues if elected president. Campaigning for village and local city councils around Iran began today. There are over 126,000 seats up for grab around the country. BBC Persian has filmed a new documentary about the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad titled, The Man with the Spring Coat. The documentary provides an in-depth look of all aspects of his tenure as the president of Iran, such as his populist agenda both inside and outside of Iran, Irans nuclear program, domestic political infighting, the disputed 2009 presidential race, and other interesting topics. Fars News posts two sets of photos of ordinary Iranians campaigning in public streets for their respective candidates. Voters are passing out flyers and posters to other perspective voters in cars and on sidewalks. YJC.IR (Young Journalists Club) English reports that activist Bahman Sharifzadeh is still holding out for President Ahmadinejads right-hand-man Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei to be allowed to run in the presidential election. Sharifzadeh said, "We will not lose hope until the last moment that Mashaei may appear on the electoral scene. As Mr. Ahmadinejad said we will not lose hope until the last moment, because there is some basis to our hope. YJC.IR News posts photos of the presidential candidates in the green room preparing before last nights debate, as well as a series of photos of ordinary Iranians watching the debates on television. YJC.IR News also posted a series of photos shot around the Khorasan province of candidate Mohammed Bagher Qalibafs campaign promotions. On a Facebook page created for Mohammed Reza Aref, a short video clip is posted that shows Aref during a television interview explaining why he is worried and upset. He describes his vast experience in government and says, I am worried for the children that we had a revolution for (in 1979), I am worried about the relationship between the first and second generation of the revolution, and I am worried about the advancement of this country.
ByHanif HanifZarrabi-Kashani Zarrabi-Kashani By


June 5, 2013
ILNA conducts an online poll and asks its readers who they will be voting for. As of Wednesday morning, over 3,000 people voted. Hassan Rouhani led all candidates with 45%, followed by Mohammed Reza Aref with 31%. The rest of the candidates shared less than 10% of the votes. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei made a speech yesterday, on the occasion of the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeinis death, in which he urged presidential candidates not to appease the West with concessions. He said, Some, following this incorrect analysis - that we should make concessions to the enemies to reduce their anger - have put their interests before the interests of the Iranian nation. This is wrong." The Iran Media Program posts their Persian newspaper cartoon roundup with English translations. The second televised presidential debate last night centered on the theme of culture and society, and the ISNA has provided a summary of last nights debate and each candidates views as well as the criticisms they have of their fellow candidates. English News PressTV summarizes each of the presidential candidates social and cultural plans that they outlined during the second televised presidential debate. Iranian-American journalist Negar Mortazavi reports on her Twitter account with a photo that reformist Facebook users are changing their Facebook profile pictures to green poster that says, "I Will Vote" in Farsi. Fars News posts a series of photos of candidate Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel making a campaign speech to his supporters in the Jabery Mosque in Tehran, and ISNA posts pictures of Ali Akbar Velayati speaking to supporters at the Hosseiniyeh Martyrs of Karbala in Shahr-e-Ray. Candidate Mohammed Reza Aref said, I will follow through with everything that I am promising. Conservative cleric Ayatollah Mohyeddin Haeri Shirazi warned, Without competition (in the election) the livelihood of the system will be disrupted what we saw in the 2009 elections is that the system was flawed. A flawed system is not sustainable. YJC News posts photos of election campaign promotions in the northeastern city of Mashhad as well as photos of candidate Mohsen Rezaei speaking with artists and athletes. Former president Mohammed Khatami said, I will participate in the (presidential) election and its my belief that everyone will participate as well. ILNA interviewed Masoumeh Ebtekar, who was Irans first female vice president under former president Mohammed Khatami. She was asked about her disqualification in the Tehran city council elections. She said, I am a child of the revolution, and I object strongly to the charges against me and will protest against them. Unfortunately, this city and local election was not welcoming for reformist members. Mohsen Rafsanjani, the son of former president Rafsanjani was also disqualified from running in the Tehran city council elections, according to the head of the city council elections who also said 1,700 candidates nationwide were approved. The final list for the approved 30 candidates for the Tehran city council election has been announced. They include doctors, former politicians, athletes, artists, cultural activists, religious figures, journalists, and teachers. Jahan News provides a list of the final candidates as well as a short biography of each finalist. The list includes two women: Masoumeh Abad and Samieh Bourjerdi. Mehr News posts photos of candidate Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf making a speech to a large crowd of men and women in the Lorestan province, and posing with children as well.


June 4, 2013
Ahead of tomorrow nights second televised presidential debate with all the candidates, Mehr News has published a list of 30 questions asked by cultural experts because the theme of the debate is society and culture. Some of the topic questions include government interference in media, politicization of culture, job security for artists, the relationship between government and films, Iranian cinema in the international arena, candidate familiarity with art, and the struggling theater arts situation to name a few. Tabnak News posts the uncensored version of presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaeis first TV campaign documentary. The 25-minute documentary discusses social ills such as poverty as well as domestic political challenges. Rezaei has been campaigning in the northern Iranian province of Golestan, and according to Tabnak, the crowd in the northern city of Sari was so large that Rezaei was barely audible at some points during his speech. Photos reveal the large energetic crowd. While trying to appeal to artists ahead of the cultural debate, Rezaei said, Its not right for our artists to be forced to leave Iran (exiled), the first thing I will do for art is take the political and security foothold out of culture, art, sports, and architecture. Photos of Rezaei supporters in the northern city of Gorgan demonstrate his popularity as well as the wide age range of his supporters. In a six-minute clip of a promotional campaign video for candidate Ali Akbar Velayati, the presidential candidate becomes emotional as he watches old footage of himself and begins to weep as images of the late Ayatollah Khomeini in his final days are shown. While addressing a ceremony at Imam Khomeinis Mausoleum in southern Tehran to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said, I dont have an opinion on any of the candidates, and every vote in the election is a vote of confidence in the electoral process. At the same ceremony, the grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, Seyed Hassan Khomeini, stated, We are hopeful that with these elections, we can fix our current (political) situation. Photos of the event reveal President Ahmadinejad, former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, current head of the judiciary Sadegh Larijani, and his brother, Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani all being present as well. In a televised interview, candidate Hassan Rouhani said, I have no problem working with Principalists or Reformists, I have a problem with extremists...and I have come to replace extremism with moderation. ISNA posts photos of Rouhani campaigning in the city of Isfahan, as well as photos of candidate Saeed Jalili making a late-night campaign visit to the southern city of Ahvaz. While visiting the city of Qazvin, candidate Mohammed Reza Aref said, Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammed Khatami need to review the situation, after in which they should decide if I stay or quit the race. There has been much speculation if Aref will step down in favor of Hassan Rouhani. Fars News posts photos of candidate Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf making a campaign stop at the University of Lorestan in the western city of Khorramabad. Qalibaf told his supporters, Lorestan is one of the most deprived provinces in Iran, the lagging of this province is an old wound and I have promised myself that it is my responsibility and priority to address the needs of this province. In Esfahan today, during the funeral procession of Ayatollah Jalal Al-Din Taheri, a close confidant of the late Ayatollah Khomeini and supporter of the Green Movement, parts of the extremely large funeral procession began to chant death to the dictator, as well as other slogans supporting the Green Movement. BBC Persian provides a video clip in which people are chanting, Mousavi and Karroubi must be freed! Presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani was said to be present in the funeral procession as well.


June 3, 2013
During a campaign speech in Tehran over the weekend, presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani faced a raucous crowd of supporters who boldly chanted the name of detained opposition leader Mir Hussain Mousavi and vocalized other concerns as well. A photo of the event also reveals Rouhani supporters holding pictures of Mousavi alongside Rouhani. During the event, Rouhani held a purple ribbon (campaign color) and a symbolic key and called it the Key of wisdom and hope. A video clip of the event was posted on Rouhanis Twitter account as well with English subtitles. Multiple people were arrested at the event including Saeid Allah Badashti, who is Rouhanis Youth Campaign Manager. The Rouhani Youth Campaign Facebook page posted a video clip of the arrested campaign manager prior to his arrest as he gives a speech (in Farsi) to the audience and explains why he supports Rouhani. Also posted on the Facebook page was a clip of two young poets reciting poems to the crowd, with one poet exclaiming, There is no sedition (term used by government to describe the Green Movement), except whats in our hearts and minds which is our love for our country! Fars News Agency posts two sets of photos of presidential candidate Hassan Rounhani speaking to a large group of supporters in the Southwestern city of Ahvaz with female supporters on hand as well. Mehr News provides a survey in which they claim 22,000 people voted for their choice of presidential candidates. Qalibaf led with 34.18%, followed by Jalili with 27.31% and Velayati with 11.77%. Rouhani and Aref were listed towards the bottom with 7.9% and 6.5% respectively. Website AsrIran conducts its own poll and interestingly asks it readers, Regardless of who you think will win, who will you vote for? As of Monday afternoon over 14,000 people have voted, and Rezaei led all candidates with 32%, followed by Rouhani with 23% and Aref with 22%, respectively. Mehr News posts photos of presidential candidate Mohammed Bagher-Qalibaf visiting Tabriz and speaking to a large audience in a packed field house. There were many female supporters on hand as well holding posters and cheering. ISNA News posts photos of presidential candidate Saeed Jalili making a campaign stop at the University of Tehran to speak to a large audience of students. There were many female supporters on hand, two of them who had their faces covered wrote messages on her hand that read, Progress and Resistance is the password. A video clip of the event reveals a female Jalili supporter asking the presidential candidate to swear to the Quran that she holds in her hand that he will sacrifice his life for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Jalili responds to her by saying, God-willing we are. She then hands the Quran to Jalili who kisses the holy book to the delight of the crowd. Mehr News posts photos of presidential candidate Mohammed Aref taking the public metro on his way to Tehrans Grand Bazaar in order to do some face-to-face campaigning. While speaking to riders on the metro Aref brought up the current conflict in Syria and said, Confronting Syria is the beginning of confronting Hezbollah, and next is confronting Iran. The rider than says, So you are one of these types of presidents? To which Aref responds, We cant govern timidly. Presidential candidate Ali-Akbar Velayati made a campaign stop at the ISNA headquarters to speak with reporters and to declare, I have a long history in foreign policy, in fact I am one of the founders of Islamic Republic foreign policy. Mehr News also posts pictures of Velayati speaking to gathering of state lawyers in Tehran. Fars News Agency General Director Abas Aslani used his Twitter account to tweet an interesting image comparing a female Hassan Rouhani supporter to a female Saeed Jalili supporter.

Additional Iran Election Updates are av ailable here. Election date is June 1 4, 201 3.

May 31, 2013
ISNA conducts a poll and asks its readers, After the first televised debate between the candidates, which economic viewpoint of the candidates did you prefer? As of Friday afternoon, over 4,500 respondents overwhelmingly chose Mohammed Aref with 40.3 percent. Followed by Hassan Rouhani with 18 percent and Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf with 13 percent. Saeed Jalili only received 6 percent of the votes. (The poll is located on the left side of the homepage, and results are given after the respondent has voted). Asr Iran News asks the same questions to its readers and the results (over 12,000 respondents) were strikingly similar with Mohammed Aref leading in votes with 31 percent and Hassan Rouhani trailing with 29 percent. English language news PressTV offers a short summary of last nights first televised debate between the presidential candidates. PressTV also provides multiple short clips of Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf explaining (with English subtitles) that, National solidarity is needed to alleviate poverty, and Mohammad Gharazi discussing the nuclear program: We are not allowed to build an atomic bomb, both in religious terms and according to customary regulations. PressTV also claims that Iranian reformists may urge Mohammed Aref to quit presidential race and become Hassan Rouhanis Vice President if he is to be elected. YJC News posts two sets of photos of all the presidential candidates arriving and preparing for the televised presidential debate as well as a behind the scenes look. Khabar Online lists the final comments of each presidential candidate after last nights first television debate. Almost all the candidates were hopeful and thanked the viewers or supporters except for Saeed Jalili who ended on an apprehensive note, Thanks to the revolution, today more than ever, we need to understand our weak points. Presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani tweeted a link to an online poll which shows him in a clear lead over the other candidates. Rouhani has over 5,500 votes with Jalili lagging behind with over 1,600. He also tweeted a YouTube clip with English subtitles of his views on the popular protests after the 2009 election. Interestingly, Rouhani also changed the background of his Twitter profile to a picture of two female supporters holding Rouhani campaign posters. ISNA posts photos of presidential candidate Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel making a late Thursday night campaign stop at Imam Jafar Sadiq Mosque during which he said, Cultural problems should be our priority and we must think about why young girls and boys cannot get married for whatever various reasons. He continued, If we want to confront moral corruption, hijab-less women, and divorce, we need to adopt a family-oriented approach. Mehr News posts photos of presidential candidate Mohammed Aref making a late Thursday night campaign speech at the Seyed Al-Shohada Mosque in Tehran. The images of female audience members or female supporters during these campaign stops are significant when comparing the candidates.
Mehr News posts photos of Friday prayers at the University of Tehran. Of significance are the congregants and their political affiliations. Supporters of presidential candidates Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, Saeed Jalili, and Ali Akbar Velayati were all present. Presidential candidate Saeed Jalili makes a campaign stop in the city of Arak located in central Iran. On his personal website, Jalili posted photos of himself visiting the graves of local martyrs. YJC News also posts photos of Jalili arriving and meeting supporters in Arak. The photos illustrate two consistencies during Jalilis campaign: large crowds of supporters and Jalilis wearing of the symbolic kafiya scarf.

May 30, 2013
Presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani spoke to an audience of women from Quranic institutions in the northern Tehran neighborhood of Gholhak. Rouhani said, If there wasnt a way to solve the countrys problems, I would not have become a candidate. After saying this, the audience began to chant, Greetings Rouhani and hail Hashemi (Rafsanjani)! At one point, a female audience member interrupted Rouhani and said, If you arent going to be able to do anything you should just say so and be loyal to yourself. I wont say that I am disappointed, but why are our people so upset? If we werent Iranian and ready to sacrifice we would deserve these hardships, but we live in Iran, a place where the land is rich. After explaining to the audience his economic plans Rouhani said, My motto is to save the economy. Mehr news posts photos of the female audience members, and even a photo of Rouhani at one point wiping tears from his face. In an Op-Ed, Alef News warns that The election is not a referendum on the nuclear negotiations. The article cites the two presidential frontrunners Saeed Jalili and Hassan Rouhani as the current and former Iranian nuclear negotiators and their recent defense of the nuclear negotiations during interviews in the current campaign period. Jalili has been promoting his hardline stance while Rouhani has revealed openings of negotiations during his tenure as nuclear negotiator. The author concludes, The candidates should not attract voters this way as this debate benefits no one and jeopardizes national securityThis is a lose-lose situation. The sooner it ends the better. Presidential candidate Saeed Jalili posted a picture of himself on his Instagram account meeting with staff and provincial officials. Jalilis Twitter account also tweeted a link to a song made by a campaign supporter titled A Bright Tomorrow. ISNA posts photos of presidential candidate Ali Akbar Velayati opening his new campaign headquarters in Tehran. During a press conference with clergymen at the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran, Velayati declared, The Islamic world, whether it be Shia or Sunni, does not have a safe sanctuary except for Iran, and everyone tells us this. Fars News also posted photos of Velayati making a campaign stop in the city of Qazvin. Presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said, The people do not need a president who just says slogans and whose opinions are theories. Today, people expect that the president needs to talk about his work and service for the people, and this is the demand and right the people. ILNA posts photos of Qalibaf meeting and speaking to a large crowd at the Haydarian Maryer Sports Complex in the city of Qom. Qalibaf also made a campaign stop in the northwestern city of Ardabil and Fars News published a series of photos of a large crowd welcoming and greeting him.
Tabnak News posts photos of presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei meeting with supporters in multiple cities in the southwestern province of Bushehr. During his campaign stop in the industrial port-province, Rezaei repeated his determination to provide all the required means for the development of provincial economies and pledged to support Irans maritime imports and exports more effectively. Rezaei also asked, Why are poor people found in the Islamic Republic of Iran? In order to eradicate poverty in Iran, there needs to be a program and a balanced look at the towns and villages between the people and the government. ISNA posts photos of presidential candidate Mohammed Aref meeting with officials from various ethnic and religious groups. In an interview last night on state television, Aref also said that his governmental plans included all ethnic groups including Zoroastrians, Jews, Sunni and Shia Muslims.

May 29, 2013
Speaking to members of the Parliament, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said, Active participation in the elections would ensure the immunity, strength, and security of the country and would also deter enemy threats. He also asked the candidates to refrain from mudslinging against their rivals and not to distort the social realities in order to gather more votes. ISNA posted photos of the meeting. Khabar Online posted a schedule of all the presidential candidates' programs broadcast on state media with a chart illustrating the TV channel as well as the time the program will be aired. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was asked about the possibility of his government supporting candidate Saeed Jalili and he answered, I have never heard of this. He was also directly asked whether candidate Jalili would be his choice in the presidential election and Ahmadinejad answered, Forget about it. Another reporter asked him if he wanted to defend his policies that have been greatly criticized by the final candidates during their campaigning to which he responded, Do you have any other questions? During a meeting with the principlist Front of Epic-Makers, presidential candidate Gholam Ali HaddadAdel spoke about the economy and warned that there are critical days ahead. When he was asked whether he wanted to create an economy like an Islamic Japan, Haddad-Adel answered, They labeled me with that during the 6th Parliament. I want to build an Iranian model (of economy) that is above all the other countries so that they will want to be like us. ILNA posted photos of presidential candidate Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf making a campaign visit to a mosque in the northwestern Iranian city of Zanjan. Some of Qalibafs female supporters held up a campaign sign that said, Until we make progress, there wont be justice. Presidential candidate Saeed Jalili took his second trip to the city of Qom and photos reveal it was bigger than the first as he spoke to a large number of his supporters at the Imam Hasan al-Askari mosque. One of Jalilis supporters held up a sign that illustrated Saeed Jalilis shoe stepping on the written words of Netanyahu, sedition (term used for Mousavi supporters), 5+1 negotiating team, the MEK, FOX News, VOA News, BBC News, CNN and Al-Arabiya News, among others. ISNA posted photos of Mohammed Aref speaking to supporters at the Medical School of Shahid Beheshti University. Aref was also photographed walking the streets of Tehran and engaging with people. English News PressTV reports presidential candidate Mohammad Gharazi saying that he will form an anti-inflation administration if he is elected. He also proposed that he would divide Tehran (province) into six small provinces and allow all of them to choose their own governors. Presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani used his Twitter account today to post a two minute YouTube clip with English subtitles that explains his views on the house arrests of Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, as well as other political prisoners. Tabnak news posted photos of presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei making a campaign visit in the city of Qarchak where he spoke with supporters in the street and at the local mosque. English News YJC reports about a Mehr News survey in which 1500 respondents in the city of Tehran were asked who they favored in the election. Tehran Mayor Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf received the most votes with 35 percent, followed by Saeed Jalili with 11 percent. Mohammed Aref, Hassan Rouhani, and Mohammad Gharazi were least favorable. Asre Iran News conducted its own online survey asking its readers, Have you chosen a final candidate for the presidential election? (The survey is located on the left side of the homepage, and results are shown once the respondent has voted). As of Wednesday afternoon, almost 28,000 people voted and 64 percent By Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani of them voted No, while 36 percent of the respondents voted Yes.

May 28, 2013
Over the past few days, all of the presidential candidates election campaigns have been in high gear as they have been making the most of the state approved campaigning period. Mehr News posted photos of Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf campaigning in the city of Yazd. Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel used a press conference to unveil the programs for his presidential campaign. Candidate Saeed Jalili met with economic experts and reporters in Tehran to discuss Irans current economic situation. And candidate Mohammad Gharazi made a campaign stop to speak with reporters at the Mehr News agency headquarters in Tehran. In a presidential television interview with IRIB, candidate Hassan Rouhani said, I am a moderate and I have known and have had relationships with conservatives and moderate reformers and in these 30 years my thinking has not changed and I was never radical. Irans Interior Minister, Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, said there are a little over 50 million eligible voters in this years presidential election. Of that 50 million, 1.6 million are first-time voters. There are also 285 voting centers (around the world) for Iranians outside of Iran to vote. Candidate Saeed Jalili said he would welcome the endorsement of conservative Guardian Council member and leader of the Perseverance Front Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi. The support of such a valuable person as Ayatollah Yazdi would be my pleasure. Ayatollah Yazdi previously supported Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, but Lankarani withdrew his nomination before the Guardian Councils final vote to determine the candidates. Saeed Jalili met Ayatollah Yazdi in the city of Qom for almost 3 hours. Their meeting was private and when they emerged Ayatollah Yazdi declared, We hope that we can use someone like Jalili and take steps toward preserving the values of the Islamic Revolution and pursuing these goals. Presidential candidate and 2+1 Coalition member Ali Akbar Velayati said that his coalition will stay intact until the end of the race. It was previously thought one of the three would be nominated in order to not split the principlist vote. We will wait until the campaigning period is over then we will review the conditions to see who we should nominate. It wouldnt be appropriate to predict the nominee at the current moment. Presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani posts a YouTube clip of him on his Twitter account of a viral video setting the record straight on Irans nuclear program during an interview with State Television. The 5 minute long video has English subtitles. He also posted a picture on his Twitter account of himself meeting with ordinary Iranians on the streets of Tehran. In an interview with Alef News, member of parliament Ali Motahari explains that the Guardian Council should have explained to the people why former President Hashemi Rafsanjani was disqualified and he also expressed his concern with the power of extremists within the country. Rafsanjanis disqualification hurt the revolution and made the Zionists and western countries happy because they do not want to see Irans domestic politics in orderit was a historic failure on their part and it only hurt them (Guardian Council) and not Rafsanjani. Motahari later warned against choosing a radical president, saying he personally considered candidate Saeed Jalili to be radical.

May 24, 2013
Fars News released a comprehensive schedule of television campaigning air-time for all eight presidential candidates. The schedule of each candidate includes lists of the date, time, and television channels for the campaigning advertisements. Campaign ads for radio and direct radio campaigning by the candidates are also listed. Popular news site Asre Iran conducted an online survey asking respondents which candidate would they choose? (The survey is on the left side of the homepage and the results are revealed once the user clicks on a candidate). As of noon May 24, 89,286 people responded. The poll revealed Hassan Rouhani as the current frontrunner, with 34.86% of the votes, followed by Mohammad Reza Aref with 20.82%, Qalibaf with 19.46% of the votes and Jalili with 9.25%. The rest of the candidates received 6% or less. Candidate Haddad-Adel was in last place with .74% of the votes. During Friday prayers, the Supreme Leaders representative at the University of Tehran, Hojatoleslam Hassan Abuturabi, said it is important for the nation that the people be informed, participate in the election, and select the fittest individual. Fars News posted photos of presidential candidate Mohammed Bagher Qalibafs first official campaign stop in the symbolic city of Khorramshahr in the southern province of Khuzestan. He spoke in front to his supporters inside the Khorramshahr Mosque, which was a symbol of defense during the Iran-Iraq War. Presidential candidate Saeed Jalili held a campaign rally today in Tehran's Shirudi stadium. Jalilis Twitter account live-tweeted the campaign event, and during the rally, Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator Dr. Ali Bagheri was announced as Jalilis campaign manager, which according to Jalilis Twitter feed caused the crowd to chant, The real Basiji! Jalili and Bagheri! Jalilis personal website released photos of the rally, which reveal female and male supporters. Mehr News also published a different set of photos. Jalilis brother Vahid Jalili and Iranian poet Alireza Ghazveh were also on hand at the event as Saeed posted a picture of them on his Instagram account. The crowd also chanted, Our victory card is our living martyrs (this is the Persian phrase for war veterans). Presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani used his Twitter account today to post photos of his experience in the Iran-Iraq War. Rouhani posted a photo from 1985 with his political ally former president and then commander in chief of the armed forces, Hashemi Rafsanjani. Rouhani also posted a picture of himself and Rafsanjani on the snowy western front dated in 1987. Mehr News posted photos of presidential candidate and member of the 2+1 Coalition Ali AkbarVelayati during a Friday morning campaign rally at the Haidar Nia Sports complex in Tehran. Athletes were on hand with pictures of Velayati attached to their uniforms, as well as female campaign supporters. Presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei, made a campaign stop in the city of Robat Karim to speak with supporters and said, we need to focus on cultural issues and prevent social problems such as the increasing rates of divorce and drug addiction. English news PressTV reports that Rezaei said that if elected president, We will continue (nuclear) negotiations in the next administration, but in a constructive way. In fact, talks should be based on national interests and values of the Islamic Revolution.
The next update will be posted on Tuesday, May 28.

May 23, 2013
Alef News reports that although presidential candidate Saeed Jalili made a campaign visit to Qom and met with influential high-ranking clerics, he did not in fact meet with the senior cleric Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, whose endorsement would be a major campaign prize. Alef cites the reasons ranging from the Perseverance Front (Yadzis political group) denying Jalilis request for a meeting to Ayatollah Yazdi not even being in Qom yesterday and Jalili not necessarily wanting to meet with Ayatollah Yazdi because Yazdi had not endorsed him when he announced his candidacy. Raja News reports and lists the 51 Persian news websites that are either backing or supportive of presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. Presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf will officially start his presidential campaign tomorrow in Khorramshahr. Photos posted by ILNA illustrate its symbolic nature as tomorrow marks the 11th anniversary of the liberation of the city as it was heavily ravaged by Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq War. In a speech in front of over 2,000 in the city of Bushehr, presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said, I will form a social and public government with the spirit of farmers, artists, workers, intellectuals, and different ethnic groups. When asked about if any of the 2+1 Coalition candidates will withdraw, coalition member Ali Akbar Velayati said all three coalition candidates will work alongside each other until the end and then a decision will be made. He also promised, "(If elected) One of my administrations emergency actions will be to contain inflation in 100 days. Disqualified but hopeful presidential candidate Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei said, If I am confirmed I will win the presidency by a unanimous vote. Reformist presidential candidate Mohammed Aref said he hopes to be one of the final two or three candidates in the election. Aref also stated that former President Mohammed Khatami will soon declare his position on the remaining candidates. He continued, I am not in the position to comment about Mr. Rafsanjanis disqualification, but I am sorry that it happened. Aref left open the possibility to join forces with candidate Hassan Rouhani by saying, I am interested in a consensus (with him). Aref predicted if there is a reformist victory in the elections, we might change our tactics and methods but overall our foreign policy will not change. Fars News posted photos of presidential candidates Mohammed Reza Aref, Ali Akbar Velayati, and former candidate Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi Fard as they participate in the Conference on Islamic Awakening, Future Horizons, and the Election. Tabnak News posted photos of presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei spending his first official day on the campaign trail in the southern Sistan-Baluchestan province meeting with citizens and tribal chiefs in the cities of Chabahar, Nikshahr, Iranshahr, Khash, and Zabol. English-language news PressTV reports that disqualified presidential candidate Hashemi Rafsanjani says the country needs unity and calm in order to pass through the current difficult times. PressTV also notes that presidential candidate Saeed Jalili said, an Islamic model must be used in various fields such as economy and culture, adding that improving public welfare is the ultimate goal of Islam. Sayed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini, wrote a letter to former president Rafsanjani and said he could not believe the news that Rafsanjani was disqualified.

May 22, 2013
The Supreme Leader released a statement directed toward the candidates rejected by the Guardian Council: "I am announcing this, everyone should know; those who are disqualified are not necessarily individuals without any qualification. It should not be perceived that those who were not qualified for the election are completely lacking any qualification. No, according to the law this person cannot be a candidate in the election. It is possible that the official disqualifying him might have made a mistake. He might not be qualified for the presidency, but might have many other qualifications. These people have other qualifications, and their lives are not over." Khabar Online has published photos of the 12 men on Iran's Guardian Council. Disqualified presidential candidate Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei wrote a letter to award-winning Iranian actor and campaign supporter Ezzatollah Entezmai saying that he is saddened by his situation, and has called his own disqualification an injustice. Meanwhile, President Ahmadinejad defended his close confidant by saying, I introduced Mr. Mashaie and I know him, he is a righteous person and beneficial for the country In my opinion there will be no problem with the Supreme Leader and I will pursue this matter with him. When asked by reporters about the final list of eight candidates, Ahmadinejad said nothing and only smiled. Presidential candidate Hassan Rowhani says his campaign slogan is moderation, wisdom, and keenness. Although the Iranian Student News Agency posted photos of the preparation of the presidential debate studio, officials from the state broadcasting network IRIB announced that presidential television debates have been canceled due to the high number of final candidates. Election officials claim that the debates should not exceed more than five candidates. Meanwhile, the head of the National Media Election Campaign announced that May 24 (3rd of Khordad) at 4PM will be the first day for election campaigning via TV and radio. Candidates will have 30 minutes allotted for TV and radio in order to introduce themselves to the public. The candidates also have until May 28 (7th of Khordad), to produce their own 30-minute documentary, which has to be delivered to the Election Media Offices by 10PM of that day for review. Fatemeh Rafsanjani, the daughter of Hashemi Rafsanjani, explained that one morning they (security officials) sent Rafsanjani a message saying to withdraw his name and if he doesnt he will be disqualified. He told them "I will not quit, the people have put their trust in me and I cannot betray them. Zahra Mostafavi Khomeini, the daughter of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, has written a letter to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asking him to reconsider Hashemi Rafsanjanis disqualification. I know that Rafsanjani might not be the same person as yesteryear, but the separation between you two is the biggest disservice to the revolution and the system, so much that the Imam (Khomeini) always said these two are good when they are together. MP Ali Motahari also has written a letter to the Supreme Leader in defense of Rafsanjani saying, Ayatollah Khomeini would have been disqualified under the same justification that Rafsanjani was. Hojjatoleslam Ali Asgari, parliamentary liaison of the Expediency Councils Strategic Research Center, said that Hashemi Rafsanjanis disqualification is the biggest disqualification in the history of the Islamic Republic because he has been the chairman or head of all the top branches of government. He continued, Mr. Hashemi would not protest the decision. The Young Journalists Club posts photos of presidential candidate Gholam Ali Hadad-Adels campaign visit to the city of Ahvaz. Twitter user IranElection2013 tweeted a photo of presidential candidate Saeed Jalili speaking with clerics in the city of Qom.
Special News Update

Short Biographies of Iranian Election Candidates
May 22, 2013 On May 21, the Iranian Guardian Council announced the list of candidates who are eligible to run in the presidential election of June 14.
Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili is the Secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council. In 2007, he replaced Ali Larijani as Irans chief nuclear negotiator. During the Iran-Iraq War, Jalili served in the Revolutionary Guards on the front line. He lost half of his right leg and is said to have survived two Iraqi chemical gas attacks. He started working in Irans Foreign Ministry in 1989, and he served as the director of the European and American desks during President Mohammad Khatamis second term in office (20012005). Later he was elevated to the position of Director General for the Office of the Supreme Leader. Jalili was considered a potential candidate for the Foreign Ministry, but he was named the Deputy Minister for American and European Affairs. As Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and chief nuclear negotiator, he has repeatedly negotiated with the 5+1 countries, which include Britain, China, France, Russia, Germany, and the United States. Jalali has twice rejected invitations for direct talks from the United States.
Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel

Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel was the parliament speaker from 2005 until 2008, and currently is a member of Irans ninth parliament, heading its conservative faction. Haddad-Adel is the top advisor to Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. His daughter is married to Mojataba Khamenei, one the Supreme Leaders sons. Haddad-Adel is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, an advisory body to Khamenei which plays an important role in resolving disputes between Irans legislature and the Guardian Council. During the past three decades, he has served as Vice Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Vice Minister of Higher Education, and as the Head of Irans Academy of Persian Language and Literature.
Mohsen Rezaei
The former head of Irans Revolutionary Guard, Mohsen Rezaei is a conservative figure who has been the secretary of Irans Expediency Discernment Council since 1997. In 1981, Rezaei was appointed to lead Irans Revolutionary Guard, which is a post he held until 1997. He ran in Irans 2005 presidential race but withdrew ahead of the election. In 2009, he ran for the presidency again and was among those in Iran who questioned the election results after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared winner. However, he withdrew his complaint soon after filing it. Mohsen Rezaei is among the Iranian officials accused by Argentina of involvement in the 1994 attack on a Jewish center in Buenos Aires. 85 people died in the attack, putting him on Interpols Wanted List.
Hassan Rowhani
Hassan Rowhani currently heads the Center for Strategic Research and is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council. He is also a member of the Assembly of Experts, a body vested with the authority to elect and remove the Supreme Leader and supervise his activities. Rowhani is known to be close to both the Supreme Leader and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council. He has a long history in Iranian politics and is a former deputy speaker of the parliament. In 2003, Rowhani became Irans chief nuclear negotiator, and held the post until 2005 when he was replaced by Ali Larijani. He remains a member of the Supreme National Security Council. Since then, he has sharply condemned Ahmadinejad policies, criticizing them for turning the international community against Iran and failing to fix the economy. In October of 2003, Rowhani helped broker a deal with the European Union under which Iran temporarily suspended its uranium enrichment.
Special News Update

Short Biographies of Iranian Election Candidates
May 22, 2013
(page 2)
Mohammad-Reza Aref, a reformist politician, was the first vice president under former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami. Mohammad-Reza Aref is currently a member of the Expediency Discernment Council. Aref held different posts during Khatamis presidency between 1997 and 2005. He was Minister of Information and Communications Technology from 1997 to 2000 and Vice President from 2001 to 2005. Aref registered as a parliamentary candidate for the 2008 election, but later withdrew in protest against the disqualification of reformist candidates by executive and supervisory boards.
Mohammad Reza Aref
Mohammad Gharazi
The conservative politician Mohammad Gharazi served in former president Mir Hossein Mousavis cabinet as Minister of Petroleum from 1981 to 1985. In 1985, he was appointed as the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services under Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Gharazi was a member of Irans parliament from 1980 to 1984. After placing his bid for candidacy in the 2013 presidential election, Gharazi outlined his main priority as president, which would be to combat rising inflation rates in Iran.
Mohammad Bagher Qhalibaf

The conservative Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf is Tehrans current mayor. Qalibaf participated in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) as a member of Irans Revolutionary Guard. During the mid-90s, Qalibaf ran the influential Khatam al-Anbia firm. The company, belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is reputedly the biggest government contractor in the country. In 1996, Ayatollah Khamenei, appointed Qalibaf as the IRGC Air Force commander, which is a post he held for three years. In July 1999, Qalibaf pressured reformist Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to suppress a wave of student protests. Joined by 23 IRGC commanders, Qalibaf sent a letter to Khatami vowing strong action if the protests were allowed to continue. A few months later, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Qalibaf as the chief of national police, where he served until 2005. In 2005, he was elected mayor of Tehran. He appointed his wife, Zahra-Sadat Moshir, as his adviser on womens affairs.
Ali Akbar Velayati

Ali Akbar Velayati is Irans former Foreign Minister and the current senior advisor on international affairs to Irans Supreme Leader. Velayati served as Irans Foreign Minister during Khameneis presidency (1981-1989) and during that of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (1989-1997). Velayati is one of the members of the Expediency Discernment Council. During Irans 2005 presidential election, Ali Akbar Velayati initially entered the race but withdrew in support of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former president and current chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council.
By Darya Razavi

May 21, 2013
In what seemed unofficial, now seems official. Mehr News, Fars News, BBC Persian, and Englishlanguage news PressTV, all claim that the Guardian Council has approved the following eight candidates: Saeed Jalili, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, Mohsen Rezaei, Hassan Rouhani, Mohammad Reza Aref, Mohammad Qarazi, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Ali Akbar Velayati. Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani and close confidant of President Ahmadinejad, Esfandiar RahimMashaie were both left off of the list. On his official Twitter account, former president and presidential candidate Hashemi Rafsanjani tweeted that he has been disqualified. In regards to Hashemi Rafsanjanis disqualification as a Presidential candidate, prominent political analyst and professor of Political Science at the University of Tehran, Sadegh Zibakalam said, Mr. Rafsanjani wasnt disqualified because of his age, but because he previously had said to not participate in the elections. Zibakalam was also quoted saying the decision to bar Rafsanjani from running will not be reversed, as was previously stated by Rafsajanis unofficial spokesperson MP Ali Motahari. Presidential candidate Saeed Jalili said that there is democracy in many countries, but in Iran there is Islam which transcends democracy. Fars News posts photos of presidential candidate and member of the 2+1 Coalition, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel speaking to students at Irans prestigious Sharif University of Technology. HaddadAdel was asked by a member of the audience about the state of his political coalition, and he revealed that the 2+1 Coalition was disorganized. The philosophy of our Coalition, or whatever you would like to call it, was to prevent multiple principalist candidates (so they would not split principalist votes) in the presidential election, and it was not organized. Alef News asks the question: Will Saeed Jalili meet with Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi? Presidential candidate Saeed Jalili has a trip scheduled to Qom to meet with religious leaders. An endorsement from Ayatollah Yazdi who is spiritual guide of the conservative Perseverance Front would ensure his frontrunner status in the presidential election. Ayatollah Yazdi had previously endorsed former Minister of Health, Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, but Lankarani recently withdrew his candidacy. Mehr News posts photos of Irans State Endowment and Charity Affairs Organization conference in Tehran on Election Ethics and the Political Epic. Academics, clerics, and cultural officials participated and delivered speeches to discuss Islamic principles and moral codes that should be observed during the election campaigns. In an interview with Khabar Online, presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei was asked if he thought former President Hashemi Rafsanjani would remain on the final ballot. Rezaei replied, With the knowledge I have of Mr. Rafsanjani, he behaves similar to the late Ayatollah Montazeri, Mir Hussein Mousavi, and depending on the circumstances he has not shown himself to be different. Fars News posts photos of presidential candidate and member of the 2+1 Coalition, Ali Akbar Velayatis recent campaign trip to the northern city of Gorgan.

May 20, 2013
Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani released his 3rd campaign statement in which he calls for Campaign Ethics, Good Promises, and Converting Enemies into Friends. He continued, I believe that the presence of different views in the election is the means to create a political epic (political epic refers to refers to the Supreme Leaders Persian New Year message in which he called the new year of 1392, the year of a "political and economic epic"). Rafsanjani said, But what convinced me to take part in this race is my concern about blaming the shortcomings of religion for the weakness in running the country, the recession in production, youth unemployment, a sick economy, the fear of Iran's neighbors, moral and cultural contradictions, and international sanctions. The spokesperson for the Guardian Council, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, told Hamshahri Online that the final list of approved candidates will be released on Tuesday, May 21, and The Guardian Council (members) are independent and are not afraid to disqualify anyone. They only fear God. This comes as reports over the weekend claimed that the Guardian Council may take into consideration physical condition when vetting candidates to ensure the candidate could work several hours a day. Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani is 78 years old. MP Ali Motahari, the unofficial spokesperson for Rafsanjanis presidential campaign, said, Mr. Hashemi has had the greatest role in the (Iranian) revolution. He warned that if the Guardian Council disqualified Rafsanjani because of his age, it would be playing a dangerous game. Motahari also raised the possibility that the Supreme Leader might issue a state decree to reinstate him if he is, in fact, disqualified. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei warned today that the enemy (through the election) is after someone who will make Iran dependent, weak, and backwards in many areas as well as pursue a foreign policy track in favor of foreigners. Former First Deputy Speaker Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi Fard, also known as the Coalition of Five candidate, announced his decision to step down from the presidential race, as did Iran's former Foreign Ministry spokesman Rahmin Mehmanparast. BBC Persian also reports that the Perseverance Front nominee and former Minister of Health Bagheri Lankarani also withdrew his candidacy in favor of Saeed Jalili. While speaking to a group of women from Tehran and Qom, presidential candidate and confidant of President Ahmadinejad, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, was asked what he would do if he were to be disqualified. He answered, If I am to be disqualified I will lawfully pursue my rights. Davood Ahmadinejad, brother of current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as well as one of his strongest critics, announced he is stepping down from the presidential race in order to back candidate Saeed Jalili. Jalili also tweeted this development from his Twitter account. Nuclear negotiator and presidential candidate Saeed Jalili kept his online campaign presence up by adding an Instagram account to supplement his Google Plus and Twitter accounts. According to a Fars News survey that asked over 164,000 respondents in over 241 cities, towns, and villages, around 70% of respondents will participate in the presidential and local elections while 14% will choose not to participate. Around 15% of respondents remain undecided as to whether to participate.

May 16, 2013
Former Minister of Commerce under President Khatami, Mohammad Shariatmadari, has withdrawn in favor of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani. His spokesperson said, Mr. Hashemi is better suited for the presidency, which is why we have withdrawn. English news website PressTV reports Ayatollah Mohammad Momen, a member of the Guardian Council, said that the body might approve more than 10 candidates for the presidential election. Bahman Sharifzadeh, a cleric aligned with presidential candidate and close confidant of President Ahmadinejad, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, described Mashaei's campaign headquarters as a modest building that is sparsely furnished with a chair and a rug. English news website PressTV reports that Coalition of Five candidate Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard has promised not to withdraw from the presidential race if he is approved by the Guardian Council. Fars News claims that 70 percent of BBC Persian programming and discourse regarding the upcoming presidential election serves the sedition and the deviants. Sedition is the term used by the Iranian government in labeling people associated with the 2009 post-election upheaval. Deviants is the term used by some in the Iranian government to describe President Ahmadinejads political camp, which includes candidate Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei. Mansour Haghighatpour, member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in parliament, said, Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani entering the presidential election will make the majority of the people want to participate in the elections and vote. BBC Persian posted a map showing the birthplaces of all of the final 49 presidential candidates and the six presidents of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as a chart highlighting the ratio of city population to presidential candidate. Meeting with a group of professors and students at the University of Tehran, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani said, It is my national and religious duty and obligation to understand the current situation and the problems the country faces, and there is a lack of transparency in the media, and news has become distorted as a mixture of truth and lies. The Chairman of the Central Election Observation Council, Mahmoud Javad Koolivand, said that throughout the country over 300,000 people registered for city and local elections. Of those, 3,000 of the candidates have been disqualified by the Guardian Council and of those who have been disqualified, 2,810 have appealed the Guardian Council's decision. "This is about a 90% approval rating for the city and local elections," and "those who were disqualified were seen to be critics of Islam and the Velayat-e faqih (Islamic jurisprudence)." Senior cleric and Guardian Council member Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi joked about the possibility of a female presidential candidate by saying, "Among the individuals who have registered, ten to twelve of them are female. One of them has said, If I become president, half of the cabinet will be composed of women and the other half will be gentlemen." He continued, "The law does not allow ladies to become president, now how has this individual determined a cabinet composition!

May 15, 2013
MP Mohammed Reza Tabesh said, No one can dictate to the Guardian Council as to who should be approved by the Guardian Council but until now eight people have been approved by the Council with others still being reviewed. Meanwhile, sources close to the Guardian Council told Tabnak News that seven to 12 individuals have been unofficially approved by the Council. Unconfirmed reports state that seven of those unconfirmed are: Saeed Jalili, Ali Akbar Velayati, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammed Aref, Mohsen Rezaei, and Gholam Ali Haddad Adel. In an interview with Fars News, a spokesperson for the Guardian Council said, due to the high volume of candidates that registered in the presidential election, it is likely that there will be an extension for the Guardian Council to vet the many candidates. The vetting process is designed to start on May 12 and end on May 17. In a speech this morning addressing a large crowd, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, Nothing would make our enemies happier than people not participating in the election, as this is what the enemy wants. He also said, the elections are almost a month away and it has now become one of the most important issues in the world." Elsewhere in his speech, the Supreme Leader stated, They (enemies) are trying to create a gap between the people and the Islamic establishment through political pressures in a move to disappoint the people, and at the same time lie and boldly say that they are not the enemies of the Iranian people." After meeting with his cabinet today, President Ahmadinejad told reporters, The election season strengthens national solidarity, this is the literature of our revolution, the literature of our culture and Iran, and we must assist each other to reach a higher level. He explained, We should back and support whoever is chosen by the people (in the election) so that they will be successful. Presidential candidate and close confidant of President Ahmadinejad, Esfandiar RahimMashaei explained his pre-election withdrawal from the public scene by stating, Its been two years that weve been silent, but weve known, and we know whats going on and in the future I will reveal some things behind the scenes. Ramazan Sharif, the public relations officer for Irans Revolutionary Guards, said that the IRGC will not interfere in the elections, but if the elections are threatened it is our duty to act. Prominent political analyst and University of Tehran political science professor Sadegh Zibakalam predicts that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani will win the election in a landslide, and that if Mashaei is disqualified, the election will be a race between either Ali Akbar Velayati and Rafsanjani or Saeed Jalili and Rafsanjani. In a meeting with the executive committee of a number of young reformist groups, former President Mohammed Khatami told its members, I tell all the people that they should understand that this is a historic moment. And I ask the people who sympathize with me and Rafsanjani to give their vote to Mr. Rafsanjani. By Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani

May 14, 2013
In a meeting with students, the head of the Imam Khomeini Research Institute and spiritual guide of the Perseverance Front, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi emphasized that when voting in the presidential elections, ones vote should not be based on friendship, interest groups or political groups. Ones vote should be based on who could better reflect Islamic culture on society. Mehr News posted photos of presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani having a lively debate with a standing-room only audience of students at Shariff University of Technology. Some students even shouted, while other students quietly listened in an overflow room. Mehr News also posted photos of presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei speaking to economic students in an almost empty auditorium at Tabatabai University. Reports of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani contacting the Supreme Leaders office on the final day of candidate registration are now being denied. Reports have been circulating in recent days of what happened on the last day of the candidate registration period. According to someone in the Rafsanjani camp, there were apparently high-profile calls and meetings with prominent MPs, including a positive comment by senior Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Sistani that ended up swaying Rafsanjani to register on the last day. Former reformist MP and head of Irans Mardomsalari Party, Mostafa Kavakebian, said that even with the addition of former President Rafsanjani, I currently have no intention of withdrawing my candidacy in the presidential election. Conservative MP Farhad Bashiri said that this years presidential elections will be fought between the conservatives and former President Rafsanjani and that these elections can be more competitive and exciting than previous ones. Prominent political analyst and University of Tehran political science professor Sadegh Zibakalam claims that the reason that current Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi has withdrawn his candidacy as a presidential nominee just two days after registering is because President Ahmadinejad is now certain that his trusted confidant and senior aide Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei will be allowed to run and not disqualified by the Guardian Council as many inside and outside of Iran have presumed. Hamid Reza Taraghi, a prominent member of the Islamic Coalition Party said that the high number of presidential candidates does not necessarily mean the race will be competitive. Many candidates are not religious and do not qualify as statesmen and therefore will be disqualified. Speaking to students at Tehran's Azad University, member of the 2+1 Coalition of presidential candidates Hadad Adel said, "Everyone who supported Mir Hussain Mousavi in the 2009 elections will be supporting former President Hashemi Rafsanjani in this year's election." Adel was asked if he thought Rafsanjani was part of the "sedition," (the term used for the 2009 postelection protests), and Adel warned that "we need to see what type of people support Rafsanjani as well as ask what role his children had (in the 2009 protests)." By Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani

May 13, 2013
With the end of the presidential registration period, there are a final total of 686 presidential hopefuls, including 30 women. The youngest candidate is 19 years old, and the oldest is 87 years old. BBC Persian posted photos of the last day of registration. The last day of registration was reserved for surprises and big names as former President Hashemi Rafsanjani and President Ahmadinejads close confidant Esfandiar RahimMashaei both registered. Also registering were the second and third members of the Supreme Leader's 2+1 Committee, Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and senior advisor Ali Akbar Velayati. Davood Ahmadinejad, the brother of President Ahmadinejad and strong critic of his polices, also registered. The recently resigned Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast, Secretary of the National Security Council and chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, and former Foreign Minister Manucher Mottaki all registered on the final day as well. The Supervisory Board of the 11th Presidential Elections announced there will be over 280 polling stations in 120 countries spanning five continents in order for Iranian expatriates to vote. Irans Guardian Council, whose responsibility is to vet candidates, said that they might refer President Ahmadinejad to the judiciary for breaking electoral rules by accompanying his chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei to the election registration headquarters. Videos have been posted of the scene in Tehran as people learned of the presidential candidacy of former President Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani supporters jammed the streets eerily similar to 2009 and chanted, "Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad. The savior of the nation has come. Hello to Hashemi, Hello to Khatami! Viva Hashemi, Viva Reform." Supporters also chanted and cheered as they saw Rafsanjanis motorcade. Former President Rafsanjani created his own official Twitter account to promote his presidential campaign. His first tweet in Persian says, I have arrived. Chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili also created a Twitter account in which he tweets in Persian, Arabic, and English, and tweeted, Jalili's coalition is with Iranian people; the coalition of People Plus One. Iranian media reported that MP Ali Motahari will serve as spokesman for campaign of former President Rafsajani. Ali Motaharis father Ayatollah Morteza Motahari was a pillar of the Iranian Revolution and confidant of Rafsanjani. However, Rafsanjanis office put out a statement and said that no specific individuals have been selected for the campaign yet.

May 13, 2013 (page 2)
There has been a high volume of criticism regarding Rafsanjanis candidacy. Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, the presidential candidate of the conservative Preservation Front said, I think the registration of Rafsanjani is positive in one way and worrisome in another way. I am deeply worried about his age (79 years old). The Coalition of 5 candidate, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Hassan Abu Torabi Fard, criticized Rafsanjanis behavior after the 2009 presidential election and said Hashemi could have played a much better role after the elections. Mahmoud Daghan, member of the Parliamentary Leadership, said that Rafsanjani will most likely be disqualified by the Guardian Council because of his old age, and presidential candidates should be under the age of 75 because they would be more lively and hard working. 7,456 law experts sent a letter addressed to Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati and the Guardian Councils other members and called on the Council to disqualify who they believe to be conspirators. The letter asks to disqualify individuals who have been active in past years related to the 2009 post-election unrest and for deviations from the direct path of the Revolution. The letter was referring to Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei. Moderate presidential candidate and Rafsanjani ally Hassan Rowhani has said, Hashemi (Rafsanjani) told me he would not be running. But I am delighted that Mr. Hashemi has registered and I welcome it because he is one of the pillars of the revolution. My candidacy will be withdrawn by June 14th. Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani, the eldest son of former President Rafsanjani, has received a letter rejecting his credentials for candidacy of the Tehran City Council. Mohsen states that the reasons given for disqualification were his lack of commitment to Velayat, meaning not believing in Islamic jurisprudence. He believes that the verdict is not final, but he has not made a decision to protest the results. He also hopes that this is not a political decision and it is not related to the misunderstandings following the 2009 elections. Azeri-English News Trend reports that candidates in the Iranian presidential elections will each have limited minutes on television and radio. In total, each candidate will have 420 minutes on television and 216 minutes on the radio. The candidates will be able to use a 30-minute autobiography film, a 45-minute roundtable discussion with experts, a 45-minute dialogue on a news program, as well as a 1-hour question and answer session with the audience members.

May 10, 2013
The Minister of Interior Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said 123 candidates have registered on day four of the presidential election registration period, bringing the total number of candidates to 366. He also said that there will be no extension of the registration period. Of the 366 registered presidential candidates, twelve of them are women. One of the female candidates that registered today is a 54-year-old Efat Kazempour. She arrived into the election headquarters with a knitted cap instead of the traditional head scarf and told reporters that she is a historian and a board member of the Womens Business Association of Iran. Tabnak News posted photos of day four of the presidential election period. Mohsen Rezaei made the most grandiose appearance of all the candidates thus far. After attending Friday Prayers with his family, Rezaei marched to the election headquarters with a giant entourage of supporters numbering in the hundreds. His supporters chanted his name and waved orange flags (the color of his campaign). Photos reveal that his entourage was so large that it blocked the streets. Seyyed Solat Mortazavi, the country's election director, told reporters that according to law, Rezaeis entourage was a violation of early election campaigning. Iranian media has been speculating that the mayor of Tehran and member of the 2+1 Committee Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf will use the color yellow to promote his campaign, if he is chosen as the candidate of the 2+1 Committee. Photos of his most recent public appearance reveal the color yellow being used. In the 2009 election campaign, Mir Hussein Mousavi used the color green. During the funeral services for Irans former Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi, former president Khatami said that he hopes former president Hashemi Rafsanjani will register as a presidential candidate and under the present circumstances, he is the best choice. In an interview with the English newspaper The Tehran Times, Khatami also said that the situation is not ripe and not ready for his candidacy. Senior cleric and Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami told congregants that The future president must be pious and law-abiding, and that presidential hopefuls must adhere to the Constitution and Velayat-e Faqih (the rule of the Muslim jurisprudent) as they are two principles accepted by the nation and potential candidates should not question them. Ayatollah Khatami also cautioned presidential hopefuls against unfair and untrue criticism of the status quo in their campaigns with the aim of winning more ballots.

May 9, 2013
By day three of the registration period, 243 candidates registered to run in Irans presidential election. The Director of the Elections office said that of those 243 candidates, five are women. Mehr News Agency posted photos of day three of the registration period for the presidential elections. The Committee of 5 principalist politicians, who all have ambitions as presidential hopefuls, named their candidate: Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi Fard. Mohammad Reza Bahonar, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and member of the Committee of 5, said, All five of us have nominated him. Presidential hopeful and member of the 2+1 Committee, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said that his Coalition of Three will not nominate its candidate until the Guardian Council announces the results of the vetting process. The three of us will register. However, the announcement will not take place before the Guardian Council declares its decision. Ali Yunesi, former intelligence minister during Mohammed Khatamis presidency, said that it is certain that neither Hashemi Rafasnjani nor Mohammed Khatami will run in the election. Speaking in front of young Iranians in the city of Karaj, Mayor of Tehran and member of the 2+1 Committee, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that Irans current social and economic situation is not befitting of the country in any way. What has happened in the country today and what we are seeing is that the existing circumstances are beneath the dignity of this country and this establishment. It is beneath the dignity of the people. We have much greater potential than this. Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the sons of former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, has conducted an interview with Khabar Online. With regard to the buzz surrounding whether or not his father will run, he responded by saying, he (my father) believes the situation is not ideal, but that his leadership might be necessary in order to help the country. When asked about the pressures that are being put on the Rafsanjani family and if family members disagree with his fathers candidacy, Mohsen said, Our current position (two of his siblings being tried in court or in jail) allows extremists with agendas to attack us and put pressure on us but they do so in indirect means. This will definitely hurt the family, especially my mother. Iranian media has been reporting that on the way to the first hearing of the trial of son Mehdi Hashemi, Effat Marashe, Rafsanjanis wife, said, "My husband will definitely not become a candidate in the election, and she added, Its too easy for them (the government) to change the votes."

May 8, 2013
Iran Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar has said that 75 people registered as presidential candidates on the first day of the registration period. On day two, 64 individuals submitted their presidential candidacy applications, bringing the total number to 144. Irans Guardian Council allows only a few candidates to run in the actual election but many sign up and register. The conservative website Alef provides a series of photos and asks its readers their opinion on the colorful group of longshots that registered on day one. On day two of the registration period, Razieh Omidvar, 46 years of age, officially became the first female candidate (photo) to register for the Iranian presidential elections. During the Q&A session with reporters after she registered, she said that she wants to serve the people and want to work toward improving the countrys (current) condition. When pressed by reporters on her political stances, she replied, I will not answer any political questions. A series of photos of day two of the presidential election registration period. Former member of parliament and current professor of economics at the University of Tehran, Hassan Sobhani has submitted his registration today for the elections. Sobhani is 58 years of age and has a Ph.D. in economics. He was quoted as saying that he wants to deliver justice through the awareness of the people and that Although Iran has wide-ranging national interests around the world, mutual interests with Muslim countries in the Middle East are my top priority. Prominent political analyst and University of Tehran political science professor Sadeq Zibakalam has said that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani will eventually decide to run as a candidate in the election and that he will have the support of the reformists. Zibakalam added, All the classes and layers of Iranian society that are concerned about the future, the economy, the sanctions, the nuclear program, they will all vote for Rafsanjani. A video of the Mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is a member of the 2+1 Coalition, has been posted on YouTube today in which he discusses his opinion about his potential presidential rival, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani. In the clip, Qalibaf says that, I have never disrespected Mr. Hashemi and I never willMr. Hashemi is one of the most important religious men and for 55 years he has given his life to the Islamic Republic. Qalibaf recalled that while Ayatollah Khomeini lay on his death-bed, the Ayatollah told Rafsanjani that he was worried about the differences that Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Khamenei will have. Qalibaf turns emotional in the video and asks rhetorically, Suppose there is a difference of opinion between Khamenei and Rafsanjani. Now is Khamenei supposed to accept your word or are you supposed to accept his?

May 7, 2013
Former President Mohammed Khatami has published a statement on his personal website saying that he thinks Rafsanjani will probably run as a candidate and that he would be a great president for the country if he chooses to do so. He also upped the ante by saying that "if the Supreme Leader doesn't want someone to run then obviously they should not, but WHY would the Supreme Leader oppose his candidacy?" Rafsanjani made headlines yesterday by saying, "I will speak to the Supreme Leader and see if he is ok with me running." The official registration period for the 11th presidential elections has begun today May 7 and will continue until May 11. From May 12-16, Iran's 12-member Guardian Council will look into each candidate and determine whether a candidate is eligible for participating in the election. The vetting process by the Guardian Council is based on articles of the constitution, which calls for candidates to have a political and religious background, Iranian citizenship, and to believe in the principles of the Islamic Republic and its official state religion. After a candidate has been vetted by the Guardian Council and for some reason is deemed ineligible to participate in the elections, the candidate will have time to appeal the Guardian Councils decision from May 17-21. The names of the candidates that are able to participate in the elections will be unveiled by Iran's Interior Ministry May 22-23. After the candidates have been determined, the pre-election campaigns would begin on May 24 and end on June 12. In 2009, only four candidates were cleared to run; Mohsen Rezaei, Mir Hussein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. More than 20 candidates have already announced their intention to run in this summers election. The Secretary of Irans Expediency Council and presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei said that Iran at the moment is struggling to withstand internal factional fighting, and if he wins the election, all political disputes would be put aside. Rezaei also criticized an election law in Iran that allows for only 25 days of election campaigning and added that this would not be enough time to present the candidates plans and that the law must be amended to a six-month period in order to resemble other countries. He also noted that if elected, he would promote the disarmament of nuclear weapons worldwide. Reformist presidential hopeful, and head of Mardomsalari (peoples rule) Party, MP Mostafa Kavakebian says Iran is in need of comprehensive reforms in many sectors. Kavakebian also noted that any planned reforms need to comply with the principles of the Islamic Establishment and that reformists are determined to resolve the countrys problems within that framework. An editorial on conservative news website Alef discusses the candidacy of former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami and claims that both men will register at the Ministry of Interior for the presidential elections on the same day. The editorial goes on to say that Khatami will most likely be disqualified by the Guardian Council, after which he will throw his support and that of his supporters behind Rafsanjanis campaign. The author of the editorial also claims that Rafsanjani has the support of foreign media. Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is a member of the principlist 2+1 Coalition, has said the Islamic Republic needs to generate science so it can remain independent because this would create wealth and power for the country. He also spoke about the unrest following the 2009 presidential election by saying, In previous years, I have always tried not to have double-standard policies. I have always tried to speak the truth, and accordingly some people have called me leftist, and others have called me rightist only because I have defended the truth.

May 6, 2013
In a meeting with election officials in charge of the presidential elections, the Supreme Leader has declared that "no one has been able and no one will be able to postpone June's presidential ballot. The Supreme Leader went on to say that the turnout for this years presidential election is crucial to the revitalization of the country. He continued, The final results of the election should not be interpreted as winners and losers as these are words and terms that are used in the West. In the divine duty of God, this interpretation does not apply. Former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and current head of Irans Expediency Council says he is currently assessing the situation before making up his mind to enter the countrys upcoming election. Rafsanjani told a group of university students in Tehran that he needs to consult the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei before making a decision. He added, I will not enter the race without the Leaders blessing because if Ayatollah Khamenei does not agree with my candidacy, the result will be counterproductive. Rafsanjani continued, If there's a situation where there is a difference between me and the leadership of the state, all of us will suffer. Popular news website Asre-Iran has conducted a public opinion poll and the survey reveals that over 50% of the respondents believe that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani will eventually submit his candidacy to run in this years presidential election. As of Monday afternoon, of the approximately 29,619 readers who participated in the survey, 50.83% believe that Rafsanjani would submit his candidacy, while 49.17% believed that he would not. Presidential hopeful Ali Akbar Velayati, a principalist member of the 2+1 Coalition of presidential candidates and senior foreign policy advisor to the Supreme Leader, has said if he is elected, he will expand bilateral and international relations with other countries, noting that he would not let Iran be driven into isolation. He reiterated that any direct negotiations with the U.S. would be based on the guidelines outlined by the Supreme Leader. In a wide ranging question and answer session with students at the University of Tehrans Faculty of Literatures Firdowsi Hall, presidential candidate Hassan Rowhani, a member of the Expediency Council, Head of Strategic Expediency Council, and former nuclear negotiator, answered numerous questions from the students. Regarding voter concerns, Rowhani stated that there is no greater betrayal of the public trust than when it is betrayed at the ballot box. Rowhani also continued his recent critique of the Islamization of universities and how female students have been banned from pursuing certain undergraduate courses. When asked about the 2009 presidential elections, Rowhani maintained that, the continuation of the street protests after the government had publically announced that further street protests were illegal was not right, but I think the sedition had started before the 2009 presidential elections. When questioned about his relationship with the Supreme Leader and former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammed Khatami, Rowhani said that my close relationship with all three men began before the revolution and God-willing it will remain that way. Rowhani ended by saying that he would welcome the candidacies of Rafsanjani and Khatami if they choose to run. Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, a principalist member of the 2+1 Coalition and former Speaker of Parliament, has said that the experiences of former Presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami are beneficial and he would use their experiences in a future government if he is to be elected as president.

May 3, 2013
During a Friday prayer sermon, Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani has said that presidential hopefuls should refrain from talking about the possible normalization of ties between Iran and the United States. You are neither competent, nor authorized to make a decision on the resumption of ties with the United States, and that this issue lies within the authority of the Supreme Leader and not the president. Hojatoleslam Mojtaba Zolnour, the Supreme Leader's deputy representative to the Revolutionary Guards, has said President Ahmadinejad doesnt have the power to create problems in the upcoming Presidential elections. Zolnour also said that if the Guardian Council approves Ahmadinejad's right hand man Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, he will not get any votes. MP Ali Motahari, son of the influential revolutionary cleric Ayatolah Morteza Motahari and a brother-in-law of Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, has openly called President Ahmadinjead a spoiled brat, and that he (Ahmadinejad) has reached a point to where he can threat the entire system. President Ahmadinejad's right-hand man, and speculative presidential hopeful, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai has made some interesting comments in a speech to students and social workers. Mashai, who has been criticized in the past for preferring Iranian nationalism to Islam, talked about the Iranian school of the thought and said, We have to introduce our own Islam to the world, which comes from the Iranian school and is based on the original Islam, and this doesnt mean we put Islam away. He went on to say, "Today Ahmadinejad is the most popular figure in Iran, more than ever." Hassan Rowhani, former Secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council and exnuclear negotiator, and presidential candidate, said that Iran is not meant not to have relations with the United States until Judgment Day. Rowhani went on to say that Iran and the United States currently have hostile relations, and this trend is not beneficial for anyone. We should gradually harness this hostility and then reduce it to tense relations and then move towards putting tension aside, and that negotiations could go forward only if Irans red lines are observed. Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami has said while they (President Ahmadinejad supporters) claim to be followers of the Supreme Leader, they take part in Nowruz (Persian New Year) celebrations (part of Zoroastrian culture) and spend billions in public funds in these difficult economic times. Ahmad Khatami cautioned people to be careful about the vote-winning slogans candidates might use in their campaigns. President Ahmadinejads camp and supporters have adopted the slogan Viva Spring, and the Presidents opponents have been criticizing its use as early campaigning, which is considered illegal before the actual candidate registration period. Reformist presidential hopeful, and former Iranian Vice President, Mohammad Reza Aref has promised to interact with all countries of the world except the Zionist regime of Israel if he wins the June presidential election. By Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani

May 2, 2013
Mohsen Rezaee, former IRGC Commander and current Secretary of the Expediency Council as well as a presidential hopeful, said that no conclusion can be drawn on the guilt or innocence of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who have been under house arrest for over two years, until they are tried. Until the judiciary explicitly expresses its view about it, no judgment can be made. I am not commenting on it either. Mostafa Kavakebian, a former Member of Parliament of the Reformist faction, head of Mardomsalari Party (The Peoples Party), and possible presidential candidate, said that while I was in the Parliament, I presented a six-month plan which would improve Irans relationship with the United States, and I still insist on this plan. He added, I am aware of Irans Islamic system and the Supreme Leaders red lines should be observed in relation to the nuclear issue. Kavakebian also noted that he believed that the current nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1 were ineffective and have not yielded to any results. Hassan Rowhani, member of the Expediency Council, Head of the Center for Strategic Research former nuclear negotiator, and presidential candidate, has said, Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani will definitely not be candidates in the upcoming elections. Rowhani also dismissed speculation that he might quit the race in favor of Rafsanjani. He added that changes in society were motivated by religion, freedom, and the peoples movement towards democracy. Ali Akbar Velayati, a principalist member of the 2+1 Coalition of presidential candidates, and senior foreign policy advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran, has said that tackling unemployment and inflation would top his agenda if he is to be elected president. Velayati said that he would prioritize the economic problems and that Iranians need to see stability in prices. Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, another principalist member of the 2+1 Committee, and former Speaker of Parliament, has indicated that he could make his own run for the office even though the 2+1 Coalition is designed to select one nominee amongst the three in the Coalition. Haddad Adel emphasized that "I will not step down during the election." The current MP also predicted that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani will choose not to run as a candidate and that former President Mohammad Khatami and President Ahmadinejad's right-hand man Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai will be eventually disqualified by the Guardian Council. Entekhab News has conducted a public survey about the popularity of the principalist members of the 2+1 Coalition: Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior foreign policy advisor to the Supreme Leader; Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, the former Speaker of Parliament and whose daughter is married to one of the sons of the Supreme Leader; and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf who is the current Mayor of Tehran. The surveys results are as follows: Qalibaf 55%, Velayati 30%, Ali Adel was last in the poll with 15%. By Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani

May 1, 2013
Presidential candidate and Head of the Center for Strategic Research, Hasaan Rohani, has expressed his views regarding women and gender segregation in society. Rohani explained that women and men are equal in society. Rohani praised the role women have played in Iranian society and expressed that women should have the same opportunities as men in areas such as management and that they should be provided unemployment benefits as well. Rohani also criticized the role of gender segregation in Iranian universities and that women should not be deprived of certain fields of study at the university level. Rohani went on to say that he believes that the majority of legal, religious, political, social, economic and criminal justice laws should be revised by scholars and experts in the law. He finished his speech by saying, I hope to one day feel that women and men have equal rights and social opportunities. Following former president Hashemi Rafsanjani's statement on Sunday that he is considering candidacy, with the promise of a multi-party government if elected, his son Yasser has said that his father is reluctant to throw his hat in the race but could be involved "if his concerns are addressed." Alef, a website is affiliated to conservative MP Ahmad Tavakkoli, reports that Ali Akbar Velayati, the advisor to the Supreme Leader on international affairs and presidential candidate, said that although former president Hashemi Rafsanjani "played a role in the sedition of 88, (the name given to the protests after the 2009 election), we have to respect him." Former President Mohammad Khatami will not be running in the June presidential elections. After weeks of speculations and endorsements on whether he would run, Mohammad Khatami has announced that in view of the many restrictions laid against him by the government, he will not run in the elections. Khatami was quoted as saying: Do you think when as an ordinary citizen they are imposing such restrictions on ones statements, opinions and movement and one is constantly being subjected to insults, that they would surrender the reigns of the country to such a person? Reformist presidential candidate Mohammad Reza Aref condemns the newspaper Kayhan and its conservative editor Hussein Shariatmadri for slandering former president Mohammad Khatami in an editorial. A former Iranian vice president and current Head of the Center for the Islamic-Iranian Model of Progress has declared his presidential bid, joining more than 20 other presidential hopefuls. Sadeq Vaez-Zadeh, who teaches at University of Tehran, said his decision to run for the presidency was in response to high public demand for change and for the people to have more choices.

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Daily Briefing: 2013 Iran Election

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Iran Election Update

June 21, 2013: Election Results

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ByHanif HanifZarrabi-Kashani Zarrabi-Kashani By

Iran Election Update

ByHanif HanifZarrabi-Kashani Zarrabi-Kashani By

Iran Election Update

ByHanif HanifZarrabi-Kashani Zarrabi-Kashani By

Iran Election Update

ByHanif HanifZarrabi-Kashani Zarrabi-Kashani By

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

The next update will be posted on Tuesday, May 28.

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Special News Update

Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel

Special News Update

Mohammad Reza Aref

Mohammad Bagher Qhalibaf

Ali Akbar Velayati

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Iran Election Update

Additional Iran Election Updates are available here.

Iran Election Update

Additional Iran Election Updates are available here.

Iran Election Update

Additional Iran Election Updates are available here.

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