Ghalibaf Urges Conservative Unity Ahead of June 28 Election

Iranian presidential candidate and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf urged other conservative contenders to step down in his favor before the June 28 snap election.

Citing his "greater readiness," Ghalibaf called for “unity” among the five conservative candidates in a TV address Sunday.

He stated on state TV, "I am among those who reminded my campaign staff of two points yesterday: first, to maintain ethics, and second, that the ‘Revolution Front’ must rally behind one candidate before June 28. There is certainly rationality, selflessness, and kindness within the Revolution Front."

With five of the six candidates coming from the conservative ranks, there is little choice for Iran when it goes to the polls later this month following the sudden death of former president Ebrahim Raisi.

As Iran endures its worst economic crisis since the founding of the Islamic Republic and sees the biggest challenge to government legitimacy in its history, he presented himself as the leading candidate. "I stepped forward after the death of Ebrahim Raisi because the country is at a critical juncture, and I felt I was more prepared than the others," he said.

Raisi and his entourage lost their lives in a helicopter crash in East Azarbaijan province on May 19, triggering this month's snap elections which are expected to see a record low turnout.

Also on Sunday, Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of parliament and a prominent member of the ultraconservative Paydari Front dismissed reports of Saeed Jalili withdrawing from the presidential race as "electoral lies" and labeled their dissemination as "a religious sin."

Nabavian asserted, "As someone who is part of his campaign and accompanies him, I completely deny this claim."