ALWAGHT- More candidates are entering the competition for Iran’s forthcoming presidential elections on the fifth and final day of registration.
Twelve candidates, including several notable political figures, submitted their nominations on Monday.
Among the most prominent candidates who registered on Monday were Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and former First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri.
Qalibaf, speaking to reporters after registration, stated that he has been urged by elites to enter the race. He emphasized that experience and expertise are crucial to achieving success.
Jahangiri also addressed reporters, expressing his decision to participate in the competition with the aim of rectifying current erroneous approaches and procedures while creating new opportunities.
The upcoming snap election, scheduled for June 28, aims to elect a new president following the tragic helicopter crash in northwestern Iran on May 19, which claimed the lives of President Ebrahim Raeisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and six others.
Candidates are required to undergo vetting and approval by the Guardian Council. The country's 12-member election supervisory body will then publish the final list of qualified candidates on June 11.
Among the contenders are former parliament speaker Ali Larijani, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati, Mehrdad Bazrpash, the current Minister of Roads and Urban Development, and Solat Mortazavi, Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare.
Additionally, three former female members of Parliament -- Zohreh Elahian, Hajar Chenarani, and Hamideh Zarabadi -- have also submitted their names for the presidential race.
Once cleared by the vetting body, candidates will have a two-week period to campaign, present their platforms, and participate in televised debates ahead of the election.
Several notable candidates from various political camps, including Principlists, Reformists, and Centrists, have submitted their nominations in recent days.
