Azernews.Az

Iranian presidential candidate Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel has blamed Iranian banks for fueling price hikes in the country, criticizing some of the banks for failing to assemble capital and use it effectively, Press TV reported.

In a question and answer broadcast live on TV, Haddad-Adel, who is a lawmaker, said Iranian banks have become greedy entities and investors, instead of accepting deposits from public or granting them loans.

The principlist candidate stated that some banks in Iran have become profiteers and greedy, saying that is why they are no longer interested in advancing low-interest loans to public or small businesses.

Haddad-Adel, a former Majlis speaker, also criticized the banks for granting huge loans to certain individuals who have defaulted on debt.

The candidate is a member of the principlist Coalition of Three along with Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati.

Other candidates include Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, President of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council Hassan Rohani, Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, former First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi.

On June 14, Iranians will cast their ballots at over 66,000 polling stations across the country, and some 285 polling stations will be set up for Iranian nationals in other countries.

Nearly 50.5 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential election, with more than 1.6 million first-time voters.