A female candidate, citing "invective against her by power-mongers," has withdrawn from Iran’s presidential elections due on June 8, reported the official Iranian news agency (IRNA).
Early last week, two other candidates withdrew.
“Farah Khosravi has had second thoughts about standing for the June 8 presidential elections after she came under fire by opponents,” an official said.
The agency quoted a statement from the Iran-e Farda Society, to which Khosravi belongs, as saying "by and large, and as the result of invective against her by power-mongers and with respect to the present-day political circumstances, Farah Khosravi has given up her intention to run for the office."
On Sunday, Iran's Guardians Council cut down the list of candidates to 30.
The council said it had "selected some 30 people out of 46 hopefuls who had been qualified in an initial assessment out of a total 814 candidates."
The council is expected to publish the final result of its screening by May 18.
In 1997, the council approved only four of more than 200 aspiring candidates.
Incumbent President Mohammad Khatami is one of the runners and is expected to be given an easy green light to run, said the agency.
Defense Minister Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, former information minister Ali Fallahian, and a key leader in the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, are other serious challengers to Khatami.
Former labor minister Ahmad Tavakoli, a British-educated economist, also looks to be a challenger to Khatami this time.
Campaigning begins on May 19 and continues until 24 hours before the polls open - Albawaba.com
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