Azerbaijan, Baku, Jun. 12/ Trend, F. Eminli
Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi and presidential candidate Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf have called candidate Hassan Rohani an ignorant politician, the Fars News agency reported.
They have referred to Rohani as a person who wants to use his experience in the Iran-Iraq war in the presidential race.
Reformists and some moderate fronts have supported Rohani.
According to Fars, Mesbah Yazdi has supported Saeed Jalili. He has criticized Rohani's approach to restoring relations with the U.S. Rohani has rejected such claims, saying that his words have been misunderstood.
Reformist candidate Mohammad-Reza Aref withdrew in favor of Rohani, 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 that he withdraw in favor of Rohani.
Rohani, a centrist candidate, is the director of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council.
He has said under the circumstances, the country has no other option but to boost its soft power capacities through greater public participation, privatization and competitiveness.
According to Rohani, slogans and ideals will get the country nowhere. He said Iran needs flexibility to push forward its agenda and protect its interests.
Rohani added that if he is elected president, his administration will pursue the country's nuclear energy program.
There are 6 presidential candidates 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
Over 420 journalists from 39 countries will be covering the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to country's Public Relations and Information Center of Ministry of Culture.
Such countries as Azerbaijan, Germany, Australia, Russia, Japan, UK, UAE, France, Turkey, Iraq, Ukraine, USA, Syria, China will be covering the elections in Iran.