The registration of hopefuls officially began on May 7 and ended on May 11 with 686 hopefuls having signed up for the vote.
Among the prominent figures who registered are Chairman of Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, former Foreign Ministers Ali-Akbar Velayati and Manouchehr Mottaki, Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei, former First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Aref, Principlist lawmaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast and First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi.
The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election. The Guardian Council vets the hopefuls and will publish the final list of candidates later this month.
The Iranian Constitution stipulates that presidential candidates must be religious or political figures, be Iranian in origin, have Iranian citizenship, have resourcefulness and managerial skills, have no criminal record, be trustworthy and pious, and have firm belief in the fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the country’s official religion.