Iran Getting Ready for Presidential Elections
TEHRAN- Iran is getting ready for holding the country’s presidential elections on June 14th.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Araqchi has presented the details of the forthcoming presidential election process for the Iranian nationals living in other countries, according to Press TV.
During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Araqchi said Iran’s 11th presidential election will be held in 96 countries and in 128 Iranian mission headquarters.
Araqchi said that 290 polling stations have been set up abroad and more than 850,000 ballot papers have been dispatched to these stations.
Iranians will cast their ballots at over 66,000 polling stations across the country. Nearly 50.5 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
Khatami declares support for candidate Rohani
Iran’s former President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami has announced his support for presidential candidate Hassan Rohani, Press TV reported.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Khatami said that, due to the responsibility he feels toward the country, he would vote for Rohani in the June 14 presidential election.
Khatami expressed gratitude for his former First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, who withdrew from the presidential race on Monday to increase the reformist camp’s chances of winning.
Rohani, who is currently the director of the Iranian Expediency Council’s Center for Strategic Research, will be competing with Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council SaeedJalili, Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-BaqerQalibaf, former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, and former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi.
Another candidate, former Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, also withdrew his candidacy bid earlier.
The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election. Nearly 50.5 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
Iranian presidential candidate Ali Akbar Velayati says his administration will defend Iran’s right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, while seriously dealing with the issues in economy and foreign policy.
Addressing his supporters in the holy city of Qom on Monday, Velayati said his administration would aim to “strongly defend Iran’s right to uranium enrichment and peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to prudently resist the greed and aggression of foreigners,” while addressing the economic and foreign policy issues.
Velayati, who is a senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said Iran had managed to enrich uranium and construct thousands of centrifuges thanks to the prudence and resistance of the Leader.
Meanwhile, Iranian presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei said strengthening ties with regional countries will be the priority of his administration’s foreign policy if he gets elected.
In a televised interview on Monday, Rezaei said he plans to bypass the current sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic and avoid new sanctions by enhancing relations with regional countries.
“We will establish an Asian union by inviting the leaders of regional countries,” Rezaei stated.
The presidential candidate, who is currently the secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council, added that he plans to reduce inflation by addressing issues such as the budget deficit, economic sanctions, domestic production and subsidies.
R.S