On Sunday, several presidential hopefuls held Q-and-A sessions and speeches elaborating on their plans and criticizing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies to attract more voters.
“There is no simple answer. Solving the economic issues that we are currently facing is very complicated, but what I can say for sure is that the subsidiary reform plan was not meant to be implemented the way it was,” said Iranian presidential hopeful Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, who is a member of the Coalition of Three.
In the reformists’ camp, presidential hopeful Mohammad Reza Aref made remarks regarding former President Mohammad Khatami.
“If Mr. Khatami announces candidacy later than the last minute, I will still step aside in his favor,” Aref stated.
Principlist hopeful Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard, one of the members of the Coalition of Five, made remarks about why he joined the coalition.
“The reason why I joined the Coalition of Five was to bring unity in the principalists’ camp,” Aboutorabi-Fard noted.
Haddad-Adel also made remarks about unity among principalists, saying, “I do not think it is impossible for principalists to unite although it will not be easy either.”
More than 20 political figures have expressed interest in competing in the Islamic Republic’s upcoming presidential election.
Hopefuls can register from May 7 to 11 for the Islamic Republic’s 11th presidential poll, which will be held on June 14.
The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election, and the Guardian Council vets the candidates for their qualifications.
