Iran's Guardian Council on Wednesday announced the names of ten candidates, including incumbent President Mohammed Khatami, deemed acceptable for the country’s presidential elections on June 8, reported the official IRNA news agency.
The nine others are Defense Minister Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, former information minister Ali Fallahian, former labor minister Ahmad Tavakoli, former energy minister Hassan Ghafouri-Fard, head of the Physical Education Organization Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, chancellor of the Open University Abdullah Jasbi, university lecturer Mahmoud Kashani, former vice president Mansour Razavi, and former MP Shahabuddin Sadr.
On Tuesday, a female candidate withdrew from the elections. Early last week, two candidates withdrew their candidacy.
"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." - Albawaba.com
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