Tehran: Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who surprised many by filing papers last week to run for another term, was not on the slate of presidential candidates finalized by the council that oversees elections.
The Interior Ministry said Thursday that the Guardian Council approved President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate; hard-line former judge Ebrahim Raisi; and four other candidates.
Though the council does not give reasons for disqualifying candidates, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had advised Ahmadinejad not to run again. Ahmadinejad was president from 2005 to 2013. The election is scheduled for May 19.
