KHATAMI SIGN IN AS CANDIDATE, ENDING SPECULATIONS
PARIS 4 May (IPS) Putting an end to more than a month of hesitation, Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Khatami announced officially Friday his intention to run in the next presidential elections, due 8 of June.
Speaking to Iranian and foreign journalists at the Interior Ministry where, like other candidates, he signed for elections, President Khatami pledged to deliver on the promise given to the people, saying he hopes to serve the Iranian nations, the official news agency IRNA reported.
"During the seventh presidential race, I felt I could serve the people as would-be president and now I have the same feeling", the 57 years-old Khatami said.
Though his friends are certain that he would win in the elections, as he remains very popular despite a series of humiliating set backs, but some fear that Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, the regime’s leader and Khatami’s foe would order the Council of Guardians to veto him out, or, what is almost certain, that he get much less votes than the 20 millions of the May 1997.
Since Wednesday which nomination started, over 140 candidates have signed up at the Interior Ministry for as candidate to become Iran’s eighth president since the 1979-Islamic Revolution, among them the former Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian, chancellor of the Islamic Azad University Abdullah Jasbi and Mrs. Farah Khosravi who is the first woman to stand for president in the history of the Islamic Revolution.
Candidates have until Sunday to register for the crucial polls after which the election watchdog, the Guardian Council, is to screen candidates' qualifications within ten days.
Born in the southern desert city of Ardakan in central Yazd province, Mr.
Khatami holds a master of art in philosophy. He achieved his academic degree on
the eve of the 1979-Islamic Revolution. ENDS KHATAMI CANDIDATE 4501