Iran’s reformist ex-president backs Rouhani's re-election

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Fatih Karimov – Trend:

Iran's reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami has expressed support for Hassan Rouhani in upcoming presidential election scheduled for May 19.

Continuation of Rouhani’s presidency for second term is in favor of Iran and the Iranian nation, Khatami said in a meeting with reformist politicians, his official website reported.

If President Rouhani loses the upcoming presidential election to his conservative rivals, there is risk of international sanctions against Iran and isolation coming back, Khatami said.

On the other hand, Front of Islamic Revolution Stability, an Iranian hardliner group, announced its support for conservative cleric, Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi in the election, Tasnim news agency reported.

Earlier in May 2, Jame-e Modarresin, an influential Iranian clerical body threw its support behind Raisi as well.

The clerical association is a group of seminary teachers from the holy city of Qom and has a number of high-profile hard-line clerics among its members.

Raeisi, the custodian of Razavi holy shrine who served for years on Iran’s judiciary, is considered the main rival to president Rouhani in the upcoming election.

Besides Rouhani and Raeisi, Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, Mayor of Tehran Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, former culture minister Seyed Mostafa Agha Mirsalim and reformist politician Mostafa Hashemi-Taba were the only qualified among more than a thousand candidates.