Former official, president's brother pull out of Iran election race
Presidential hopeful, former spokesman of Iran's Foreign
Ministry Ramin Mehmanparast has withdrawn his candidacy from the
upcoming presidential elections, Mehr news agency reported.
Aside from Mehmanparast, current president's brother, Davud
Ahmadinejad has also withdrawn his candidacy from the elections, in
favor of another presidential hopeful, Secretary of the Supreme
National Security Council, Saeed Jalili.
Iran's Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said on May 19
that the ministry will announced the names of the presidential
candidates on May 21, after it receives the final list from the
Guardian Council.
Najjar also noted that during the two-day period, the ministry will
hold meetings with the approved candidates to discuss their
election campaigns.
The campaigning period for Iran's presidential elections will end a
day before the polls open. There will be 66,000 polling stations
open for the upcoming election.
Iran will hold the 11th presidential election on June 14.
The voters will select the successor of the current President
Ahmadinejad, who is not able to participate in the elections for
the third term according to the country's constitutional laws.
The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national
election and the Guardian Council vets the candidates for
qualifications.