Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The Iranian Interior Ministry on Tuesday evening announced names of approved candidates by Guardian Council for upcoming 11th IRI Presidential Elections, IRNA news agency reported.

The Guardian Council has approved eight hopefuls to run in the upcoming presidential race slated for June 14.

The Council on Tuesday approved MP Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei and President of the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council Hassan Rohani.

The list also included former First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, former telecommunication minister, Mohammad Gharazi, and former foreign minister, Ali-Akbar Velayati.

Former president, Hashemi Rafsanjani, and head of the Secretariat of the Non-Aligned Movement Esfandiyar Rahim-Mashaei and former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki have not been approved by the Council.

Meanwhile, Iran's Guardian Council said the Constitution and the election law were the criteria for vetting presidential candidates.

Guardian Council Spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei that the top electoral supervisory body held several sessions to discuss the capabilities, resumes, and even the past actions and remarks of the presidential hopefuls.

He went on to say that "being Iranian, management capabilities, and faithfulness to the principles of the Islamic Republic" are some of the criteria used for vetting hopefuls who want to run in the presidential election.

A total of 686 hopefuls registered from May 7 to 11 for Iran's 11th presidential election.

The voters will select the successor of the current President Mahmoud 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.