TEHRAN, 25 May 2005 — Iranian hard-liners yesterday agreed to allow two reformists to stand in next month’s presidential election amid fears their disqualification could provoke a mass public boycott of the polls.
The U-turn by the Guardians Council, a powerful political watchdog, came in response to a demand from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and warnings the 26-year-old Islamic government was facing a crisis of legitimacy.
The head of the Guardians Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, was quoted as writing to Khamenei that “as you consider it desirable that all people in the country from different interests have the opportunity to take part ..., the competence of Moin and Mehr-Alizadeh is recognized”.
Mostafa Moin was the candidate chosen by the main reformist party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), and is seen as the only credible pro-reform figure trying to run for president on June 17. Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh is currently a vice president in incumbent reformist President Mohammad Khatami’s Cabinet, and is running as an independent.
Their addition to the ballot sheet brings to eight the number of candidates approved to stand. The other six are powerful former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, four hard-liners — Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Ali Larijani, Mahmud Ahmadi Nejad and Mohsen Rezai — and the moderate former Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karoubi.
Rafsanjani has been promoting himself as a moderate and had been seen as the frontrunner, although the scandal surrounding the initial blocking of Moin may now give the reformists a boost.
The Guardians Council had announced their initial approved list on Sunday, immediately drawing claims it was carrying out a “coup d’etat” by limiting voter choice.
The European Union and Tehran’s archenemy Washington — both at loggerheads with Iran over its nuclear program — also voiced their concern over the disqualifications.
Meanwhile, Iran warned that there was only a 50 percent chance of success in crunch nuclear talks with the European Union this week, aimed at avoiding an escalation of Tehran’s standoff with the West. Speaking after official-level talks to prepare for formal negotiations in Geneva on Wednesday, a top Iranian official was blunt about the difficulties.
“We are at the most difficult part of the negotiation,” said Hossein Moussavian after the closed-door Brussels talks. “(There) is a 50-50 percent chance of success (...) of reaching a compromise between the two sides. We have had some steps forwards, but we have a lot to go.”
