Azerbaijan, Baku, Jun.11/ Trend, F. Eminli
Reformist candidate Mohammad-Reza Aref has withdrawn in favor of other reformist hopeful Hassan Rohani in Iran's upcoming presidential election, according to a statement published on Aref's official website on June 11.
Aref said that he received a letter from Iranian reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatemi, which demanded him to withdraw in favor of Rohani.
Before Aref, Iranian presidential candidate, principlist Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel has announced his withdrawal from the presidetial race as well.
Rohani has been introduced as the reformist front's candidate.
The 10-member consultative council, which is led by (former president) Mohammad Khatami, has said in a statement that Rohani will be the reformists' candidate, Karbaschi said.
Rohani, a centrist candidate, is the director of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council.
The Mordomsalari Party (Democratic Party) has issued a statement in June 10, advising Aref and Rohani to do a "coalition" in order to avoid the "bitter experience" of the 2005 election in which reformists and moderate principlists were divided between four candidates.
The presidential election will be held on June 14, 2013.
The voters will select the successor of the current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is not able to participate in the elections for the third term according to the country's constitutional laws.