Azerbaijan, Baku, Jun.12/ Trend F.Eminli
The Guardian Council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei has said that the Constitution has stipulated that presidential candidates should be physically fit and in good condition, the Fars News Agency reported.
His remarks implicitly referred to the disqualification of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who currently serves as the chairman of the Expediency Council.
"Although the law has not explicitly set an age limit for the candidates, but it can be understood indirectly that they should be in good physical condition," Kadkhodaei said.
The disqualification of Rafsanjani has led to many reactions in the Iranian society.
Rafsanjani has said that a security official had attended the Guardian Council meeting and convinced members to disqualify him under the pretext of unfit physical condition.
On May 6, Rafsanjani said that he will take part in the upcoming presidential election if he gets the consent of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
There are 6 presidential candidates currently active in the race: Secretary of Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, former Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Velayati, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, President of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council Hassan Rohani, and former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi.
Iran will hold the 11th presidential election 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.
The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election.