Prominent disqualified candidates urge Iranians to still vote
Despite being disqualified to run by the country's Guardian Council, several major Reformist and centrist figures are still calling on citizens to go to the polls.
Iranians continue to react to the decision to bar well-known Reformists and centrists from running in next month's presidential elections. Iran's Guardian Council, a 12-member unelected body charged with vetting candidates, announced the final list of approved candidates earlier this week, and many prominent presidential hopefuls from the Reformist camp were absent.
The most notable disqualification continues to be former parliament speaker Ali Larijani and current Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri. The two centrist figures (although Jahangiri technically ran as a Reformist) have served dutifully in the Islamic Republic. The disqualification of Reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh, while disappointing given his reputation for being outspoken/, has not necessarily been surprising given his very public criticism of various policies in the country.
A few of the candidates have openly spoken about their disqualification. Jahangiri issued a statement saying he ran at the urging of various Reformist figures and political activists, and with his disqualification this responsibility is no longer on his shoulders. He called the disqualification “a serious threat to full participation and a just competition … especially for those inclined toward reform.” He announced the end of his campaign and invited the general public to vote in the elections.
Larijani issued a short statement saying he had decided to register his name for the presidential election based on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s urging of having a maximum election turnout and the recommendation of clergy members and other individuals. He thanked everyone for their support in his short campaign run and urged everyone to vote.
