Rouhani to run for second term, conservatives ponder rival

Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in Iran in May but only one candidate - a former Ahmadinejad aid - has officially announced their participation

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

26 February, 2017

Rouhani became Iran's president in August 2013 [AFP]

Current President Hassan Rouhani will run for a second term in office in upcoming presidential elections set to take place in May, according to Iran's vice-president for parliamentary affairs.

"In recent weeks, Mr. Rouhani has reached a conclusion to take part in the presidential elections," Hosseinali Amiri said, according to state news agency IRNA.

Perceived by many as a moderate figure in Iranian politics Rouhani has improved ties with the West, and signed a landmark nuclear deal with the US and five other states in 2016.

While he has also pushed for greater social freedoms in Iranian society - and gained popularity for stabilising the economy - Rouhani has faced charges of failing to curb grave state-sponsored human rights abuses, and failing to live up to pledges to see political dissidents released from jail.

Rouhani is widely expected to run for a second term but is yet to formally announce his candidacy for the 19 May election. He leads a relatively unified coalition of supporters on the moderate and reformist sides of Iran's political spectrum.

The conservative side is yet to settle on a clear-cut rival to challenge Rouhani.

Speaking on Sunday Amiri said that Rouhani would run without the use of government funds, in reaction to criticism from some conservative quarters that he has unofficially started his campaign early and sought to curry favour among voters.

Only Hamid Baghaie, a former deputy to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in power between 2005 and 2013, has formally announced his candidacy, running as an independent having fallen out of favour with conservatives.

The deadline for candidates to announce their intentions to run is April 15. The country's Guardian Council - the highest political body in the country, overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei - then has 10 days to approve the candidates.

The consequent campaign season then lasts only two weeks - from April 28 until May 17 - when a winner is expected to be announced.

(Agencies contributed to this report)