Iran Opens Registration for Presidential Candidates, Predicted to Include Mohammad Mokhber and Khamenei's Advisor

JAKARTA - Several names of Iranian political figures have entered the presidential race, as the country opens registration to find a successor to the late President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash.

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV that registration for candidates to run in next month's presidential election will open on Thursday.

Once seen as a likely successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's aging top decision-maker, Raisi's sudden death has sparked a race among hardliners to influence the election of the next leader.

After a five-day registration period, the Guardian Council, which oversees elections and legislation, will vet candidates running for president.

"The vetting process will last for seven days and then the qualified candidates will have almost two weeks to campaign for the election," Vahidi told state TV, as reported by Reuters on May 30.

The Guardian Council will then publish a list of qualified candidates on June 11.

Moderate politicians have accused the hardline 12-member Guardian Council of disqualifying rivals of hardline candidates who are expected to dominate the upcoming presidential election.

Turnout is likely to be hit by limited ballot choices and growing discontent over a series of political, social, and economic crises.

In Iran’s complex mix of clerical rulers and elected officials, Khamenei has the final say on all state issues such as nuclear and foreign policy. But the president-elect will be responsible for addressing the country’s worsening economic woes.

A number of names are expected to enter the Iranian presidential candidate pool. Acting President Mohammad Mokhber, as well as former parliament speaker and Khamenei adviser Ali Larijani, have been mentioned by Iranian media as possible candidates. Larijani is barred from running in the 2021 presidential election.

Other registrants could include Parviz Fattah, a former Revolutionary Guard member who heads an investment fund. There is also Saeed Jalili, a former chief nuclear negotiator who in 2001 ran Khamenei's office for four years, insiders said.

In addition, several less popular moderate politicians are likely to enter next month's election.