Yes its the end of the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad era the man who stole the last election, unleashed the dogs of repression and the darling of the US so called Left( may be in jail himself before long), 1 month to go before the election and there seems to be no clear cut front runner as of yet.
>From Enduring America- Iran Election 101: An Animated Guide<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2013/5/9/iran-election-101-an-animated-guide.html> of the 7 factions As part of our coverage of the 2013 Iranian Presidential Election, an introduction to the different factions and their candidates.... * * *Video:* * * *http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=661ncgTFASs* * * Iran Today: Presidential Election --- All About Rafsanjani So Far<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2013/5/9/iran-today-presidential-election-all-about-rafsanjani-so-far.html> Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 6:13 | Scott Lucas<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/author/scott-lucas> in EA Iran <http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/ea-iran>, EA Live<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/ea-live> , Middle East and Iran<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/middle-east-and-iran> *Election Watch: Bahonar Edition* ** Conservative principlist MP and presidential hopeful Mohammad Reza Bahonar has told hardline Mashregh News <http://www.mashreghnews.ir/fa/news/213315/%D9%87%DB%8C%DA%86-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%B1%D8%AD%DB%8C%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D9%87%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85-%D9%81%DA%A9%D8%B1-%D9%86%D9%85%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D9%86%DA%98%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%AF-%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%87-%D9%88-%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%86-%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D9%86%DA%98%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%87%DB%8C%DA%86-%DA%A9%D8%B3-%D8%AC%D8%B2-%D8%AE%D8%AF%D8%A7-%D9%86%D9%85%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%AF>that he would make a "good president or good deputy". Bahonar is part of the Principlist Committee of Five, alongside Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi Fard; former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki; former Minister of Interior and current Inspector General Mostafa Pourmohammadi; and the head of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Yahya Ale Eshaq. The former deputy parliamentary speaker told Mashregh News that the committee has not decided on a candidate yet, but would do so, and dismissed criticism that he would not make a good president. Bahonar also said that incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was "only afraid of God". *Preisdential Election Watch: Rafsanjani Dominates Discussion* Beyond the announcement that 140 people have registered to become candidates and some anodyne reports of statements --- for example, by the Supreme Leader's senior advisor<http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/08/302509/velayati-criticizes-current-foreign-policy/> and possible candidate Ali Akbar Velayati --- the election chatter on Wednesday was all about former President Hashemi Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani has not yet announced whether he will stand, but the possibility, raised in a speech by former President Mohammad Khatami on Tuesday, is occupying all factions. Some speculated on whether they would have to face a challenge from Rafsanjani, who was head of government from 1989 to 1997; others went farther and denounced the cleric and politician. Rafsanjani's wife Effat Marashi added to the noise when she reportedly said on Wednesday that her husband would not run. The sting in her statement was the reason: the belief that the regime will not allow an election free from manipulation. Iran Today: Supreme Leader Losing Control of the Presidential Election?<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2013/5/8/iran-today-supreme-leader-losing-control-of-the-presidential.html> Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 5:39 | Scott Lucas<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/author/scott-lucas> in EA Iran <http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/ea-iran>, EA Live<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/ea-live> , Middle East and Iran<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/middle-east-and-iran> *See also EA's Guide To Iran's June 2013 Presidential Election<http://www.enduringamerica.com/iran-election-guide/> Iran Analysis: Presidential Election --- Rafsanjani and Khatami Put Supreme Leader in a Corner<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2013/5/8/iran-analysis-presidential-election-rafsanjani-and-khatami-p.html> Tuesday's Iran Today: The Presidential Campaign Formally Opens<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2013/5/7/iran-today-the-presidential-campaign-formally-opens.html> * ------------------------------ *Presidential Election Watch: Assessing Rafsanjani's Candidacy* A cryptic message<http://www.hashemirafsanjani.ir/content/%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B9%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AE%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%84%D9%91%D8%AA%DB%8C%D8%8C%D9%86%D9%87-%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%88> on President Rafsanjani's website today: "Do not say no to the good prayers (wishes) of the people!" *Presidential Election Watch: Assessing Rafsanjani's Candidacy* The spin and debate over former President Hashemi Rafsanjani's possible candidacy has not taken in his wife Effat Marashe. Iranian media are reporting her statement<http://www.yjc.ir/fa/news/4368407>, on the way to the first hearing in the trial of her son Mehdi Hashemi: "My husband will definitely not become as a candidate in the election." More interesting was the claimed reason: "Is there any election? Its too easy for them (the regime) to change the votes." Even more interesting, key outlets like Khabar Online --- linked to Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani --- and Tabnak, connected to Presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei, omit the second part of her statement. Meanwhile, MP Hassan Ghafouri Fard has hit back<http://khabaronline.ir/detail/291688/politics/election> at former President Mohammad Khatami, saying he will not be a candidate in this election, and former President Hashemi Rafsanjani --- "The Rafsanjani of 2005 (when he lost the Presidential race to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) is not the Rafsanjani of 2013. Conidering his age, it would not be difficult for him to run a country." *Presidential Election Watch: Assessing Rafsanjani's Candidacy* Political scientist Sadegh Zibakalam, commenting in ILNA<http://ilna.ir/news/news.cfm?id=69920>, echoes our assessment of the likely candidacy of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani. Zibakalam claims that Rafsanjani will register by Saturday's deadline, subject to the favourable outcome of a crucial meeting with the Supreme Leader. This, as an EA correspondent summarises, "is part of the strategy of shifting all the burden on the Supreme Leader and effectively holding him to account for any resentment should Rafsanjani not run". Zibakalam claims that the Supreme Leader's senior aide Ali Akbar Velayati will definetely not stand if Rafsanjani making Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf the leading conservative candidate. *Presidential Election Watch: Rafsanjani Edition* Fars, linked to the Revolutionary Guards, offered a different version of the apparent move for candidacy of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, spinning the story to emphasize why he may not stand. Fars quoted Rafsanjani as saying: *If I am convinced that in current circumstances my presence in the elections can be beneficial and effective for the system and the Islamic revolution, and will help resolve issues, then I will not hesitate [to participate]; but [if] I feel that my presence in the elections will cause resistance that will disrupt unity and exacerbate differences in the country, I will not run.* *Presidential Election Watch: A Rafsanjani-Khatami Surprise for the Supreme Leader* In a busy opening day of formal declarations of candidacy for the Presidential election, the drama came from former President Mohammad Khatami as he endorsed a campaign by Hashemi Rafsanjani, the President from 1989 to 1997 and one of the most charismatic figures in the Islamic Republic. What's more, Khatami effectively told the Supreme Leader to accept Rafsanjani's candidacy, which is likely to shake the attempts of Ayatollah Khamenei's camp --- already faltering --- to keep control of the Presidential race. We have an analysis this morning, "Rafsanjani and Khatami Put Supreme Leader in a Corner<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2013/5/8/iran-analysis-presidential-election-rafsanjani-and-khatami-p.html> ". 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