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Politics : Idea Of The Day
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To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (48374)4/25/2005 6:58:41 PM
From: IQBAL LATIF  Read Replies (1) of 50167
 
Billionaire Mullah Rafsanjani Likely to Run in Iran Elections
Apr 25, 2005

Iran's powerful former president mullah Hashemi Rafsanjani, a relative moderate, said Monday he will almost certainly run for president in June elections -- making him the leading contender in a race that hard-liners are hoping will cement their hold.

With the reformist movement severely weakened, Rafsanjani is seen as the most credible force to stop hard-line allies of Iran's supreme leader from seizing the post of president -- although the savvy politician has changed his stripes frequently in the past, sometimes backing the hard-liner camp, sometimes taking a more moderate line and seeking to build ties with the West.

The June 17 election comes as Iran is facing international pressure over its controversial nuclear program, trying to convince the United States and Europe that it is not seeking to develop weapons.

The election will replace outgoing President Mohammad Khatami, who is barred by law from seeking a third term. Though Khatami came to power in a popular landslide in 1997, hard-line clerics led by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have succeeded in stifling his program for political and social reform. Hard-liners regained control of parliament in elections last year after barring many reformist candidates from running.



The ruling mullahs see the June vote as a chance to consolidate their grip on power.

© AP Iranian.ws
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