“Despite his services in the past, Mr. Hashemi has proved that he is a man [prone to] huge mistakes,” Zakani said.
Zakani predicted Rafsanjani’s defeat in the upcoming presidential vote, but underlined that Rafsanjani’s presence in the race is all the more reason for Principlists to band together and move toward unity against other rivals.
Rafsanjani, who currently chairs the Expediency Council, has said that he signed up for the presidential election out of national and religious duty. He has also said that he decided to run for president based on his knowledge of Iran’s current problems at national and international levels.
Rafsanjani served as Iran’s president from 1989 to 1997. In 2005, he ran for a third term in office, but he lost the race to his rival Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The registration for the country’s 11th presidential election ended on May 11, with 686 individuals having signed up for the vote.
The Guardian Council, the body tasked with vetting the hopefuls, has until May 21 to announce the final list of candidates.
The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election.
