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Khamenei Tries To Control Damage From Blocking Key Hopefuls In June Poll

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei acknowledged Friday during a televised speech on the death anniversary of his predecessor Ruhollah Khomeini that some of the disqualifications made by the Guardian Council ahead of the June 18 presidential election were unfair.

Without naming him, Khamenei referred to former parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani. "Allegations were made about some candidates and their family members…[that] turned out not to be true. And all of these allegations were discussed on social media…I demand the responsible authorities to compensate the error…The reports given to the Guardian Council were false…But people began to talk about them, and social media carried them everywhere."

The day after the Guardian Council’s announcement of the list of approved seven candidates, Hossein Jafarzadeh, who is close to Sadegh Amoli-Larijani, Ali Larijani’s brother and a council member, said May 26 that the council had been told that Larijani's daughter Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani was a British citizen and was in violation of a ruling that close relatives of senior officials should not travel to or live in “hostile countries.” Various other allegations flew round social media.

At the same time, some analysts speculated Khamenei would intervene to let Larijani run, but he instead supported the Guardian Council's verdict. Friday morning, some Iranian social media users still believed Larijani might be allowed to run.

Analyst Mehdi Mahdavi Azad told Iran International TV that Khamenei was probably responding to disappointment among supporters of Larijani and others over the council’s decisions, and in particular wanted to dampen hostility from the Larijani family.

Khamenei was predictably keen to encourage voters. “Some people who have financial problems are still in doubt about taking part in the election. But these problems should not discourage people. If there is a shortcoming it needs to be addressed with a good election, not by not taking part...”

Khamenei advised candidates “not promise anything they cannot stand by.” Similar caution should apply, he said, in current talks with world powers over Iran’s nuclear program in Vienna: "I would say the same to the officials who are negotiating with foreigners. It is easy to say anything. But we have to see if those who are making new promises have already met their old promises."

Three Iranian analysts, including a former diplomat, appearing on Iran International TV, said Khamenei’s Friday speech was one of his weakest, with its tone reflecting concern over turnout in the June 18 election.

The latest poll, done face-to-face May 30–June 1 by the government-affiliated Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA), found 34 percent saying they would definitely vote and 8 percent very likely to vote; 32 percent said they would definitely not vote and 9 percent they were unlikely to vote. A telephone poll conducted in early May for Iran International found only 27 percent saying they would vote.

 

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