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Iranian presidential candidates start 3rd debates on live television (UPDATE)

Iran Materials 7 June 2013 19:33 (UTC +04:00)
Earlier today, Iranian presidential candidates have started the third debates on live television in Iran, IRIB News reported.
Iranian presidential candidates start 3rd debates on live television (UPDATE)

The details were added (the first version was posted at 17:04)

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 7 /Trend S.Isayev, D. Khatinoglu/

Earlier today, Iranian presidential candidates have started the third debates on live television in Iran, IRIB News reported.

Previously, the debates were held on economic and cultural issues. The third debates are about domestic and foreign policy issues, and also nuclear program.

Eight people are competing for the presidential post in Iran - Former top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rouhani, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, secretary of Iran Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei, lawmaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, former First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, and former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi.

Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that reform policy should defend Iran's interests and the Islamic Revolution's goals.

"We should work in framework of planned micro policy, but our diplomacy during past years was unable to yield sufficient and significant results, and it was weak," he said.

"We should make change in our foreign policy, based on international situation's changes. We should unite inside the country to have a strong position in foreign policy."he said.

Qalibaf also said that Iran should have a strong regional policy.

"We should pay more attention to regional countries, and have common diplomacy to compete with other nations in international community," he said.

Secretary of Iran Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei said that he will take advantage of efficient persons of different points of view and from different political fronts to resolve foreign policy problems, especially the nuclear standoff.

He also said that he will make effort to institutionalize freedom of speech in the society.

On June 14, Iranians will go to over 66,000 polling stations across the country to cast their votes, while some 285 polling stations will be set up for Iranian nationals in other countries.

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.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election and the Guardian Council vets the candidates for qualifications.

Former top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rouhani said that country's internal policy should be providing security in all spheres of citizens' life - job security, privacy security, and freedom security.

"People should feel freedom. They shouldn't fear to express their views. But their freedom has been restricted in the last several years," he said.

Rouhani also noted that the citizenship rights issue in the country, saying that there should be religious freedom and ethnic groups should know that their rights are provided, defended and secured.

The presidential candidate said that Iran's internal and foreign policies should be tolerant.

On June 14, Iranians will go to over 66,000 polling stations across the country to cast their votes, while some 285 polling stations will be set up for Iranian nationals in other countries.

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.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election and the Guardian Council vets the candidates for qualifications.

Iran's former foreign minister and top advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei Ali Akbar Velayati said that some economic problems in the country have resulted in the sanctions.

"Iran should use both wisdom and resistance to resolve a nuclear dispute with Western countries," he said. "Such a person should be the president that all wings to accept him."

According to him in this case Iran can reach unification inside the country to have a strong position against foreign countries.

"We should strengthen our relations with the international community," he added.

Velayati criticized president Ahmadinejad saying that his priority was African and South American countries. Iran should improve its image in the international community.

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