LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR IRAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS (14 JUNE 2013)

Saeed Jalili

The country’s top nuclear negotiator for the past six years, 47-year-old Saeed Jalili is seen as one of the leading candidates for the presidency. His supporters are believed to include the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all Iranian affairs. The veteran of the Iran- Iraq war ‒ during which he lost his right leg ‒ joined the foreign ministry in 1989 and worked his way up, becoming deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs in 2005.

Since 2007, he has headed Iran’s team of nuclear negotiators. His stubborn approach in these talks has not warmed him to Western diplomats. He is backed by conservative hardliners, notably the elite Revolutionary Guards. It is unclear if this regime backing can be translated into popular support. Critics note his lack of charisma and a dearth of experience of economic management.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani’s disqualification from the race for the presidency shocked many in Iran. The 79-year-old former president is a veteran of the Islamic revolution and presides over the Expediency Council, one of the country’s top unelected bodies.

A pragmatic politician who favours better relations with the outside world, he was the favourite of Tehran’s business community, which has been hard hit by economic sanctions. But his links with the opposition Green Movement ‒ which protested at the allegedly fraudulent results of the 2009 presidential election ‒ alarmed hardliners, who campaigned for him to be banned.

Still, he retains support from the former reformist president Mohammad Khatami and senior conservative clergy in the holy city of Qom. His disqualification renewed fears about both the credibility of the upcoming polls and the turn-out. Once seen as a corrupt politician and an unpopular symbol of the regime, Mr Rafsanjani has since largely redeemed himself in the public eye. Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei

Banned from running in Iran’s presidential race, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, the former chief of staff for President Mahmoud Ahmadi- Nejad, began his career in 1981 as a member of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence unit. He ran a state-run radio service and headed various cultural organisations before becoming first vice president in 2009 under Mr Ahmadi-Nejad. His tenure lasted less than 10 days before he was forced to resign on the orders of the Supreme leader. No reason was given, but conservatives mistrust Mr Mashaei, seeing him as promoting a “deviant current” that seeks to sideline clerical authority.

He remains a close ally of the president, the principal backer for his candidacy. The outgoing president recently said, "Ahmadi-Nejad means Mashaei. Mashaei means Ahmadi-Nejad".

Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf

Since he replaced Mr Ahmadi-Nejad as mayor of Tehran in 2005, Mr Qalibaf has established a reputation as one of the most efficient mayors the capital city has ever seen. He has developed Tehran's public transport system, expanded its highways and spruced up the capital with displays of contemporary art and new parks. Even his critics acknowledge his efficiency as a manager. The 51-year-old began his career as a commander during the Iran-Iraq war, eventually becoming a senior officer of the Revolutionary Guards Air force and then the country’s police commander.

Mr Qalibaf is believed to be backed by the Supreme leader and is a member of the “coalition for progress”. This is a group of three candidates ‒ including Ali-Akbar Velayati, former foreign minister and Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, former parliamentary speaker ‒ who have all voiced allegiance to the Supreme leader and have said they will work together whoever wins. Mr Qalibaf is believed to be more popular than the other two ‘coalition for progress’ candidates.

Ali-Akbar Velayati

The supreme leader’s adviser on international affairs, the 67-year-old was foreign minister for 16 years between 1981 and 1997, a period marked by Iran’s isolation on the global stage. He is a member of the influential Expediency Council, an unelected government body, and the Cultural Revolution Supreme Council. Believed to be backed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he is a member of the “coalition for progress” along with Mohammad- Baqer Qalibaf, Tehran mayor, and Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, former parliamentary speaker. The three have said they will work together whoever wins. Mr Velayati has no particular support base.

Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel

The 68-year-old member of parliament and former parliament speaker has been a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme leader since 2008. One of his daughters is married to the second son of Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to exert substantial influence over his father. Mr Haddad-Adel is a member of the “coalition for progress” along with Mohammad- Baqer Qalibaf, Tehran mayor, and Ali-Akbar Velayati, former foreign minister. The three have said they will work together whoever wins. Observers say that Mr Haddad-Adel’s lack of charisma could diminish his chance of success.

Mohsen Rezaei

The 58-year-old founded the Revolutionary Guards’ department for intelligence and political studies in 1979 and was a top commander of the Revolutionary Guards between 1981 and 1997. Since then, he has been secretary of the Expediency council, an influential non-elected body. He describes himself as an independent candidate and is not backed by any leading political or religious groups or individuals. He is however believed to enjoy some support in the Revolutionary Guards. Hassan Rohani

Mr Rohani was the country’s top nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005, a position now held by another presidential candidate, Saeed Jalili. He was replaced after hardliners accused him of being too conciliatory toward western countries.

Seen as a moderate, he remains a member of the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the next supreme leader, and is on the influential Expediency Council. Mr Rohani is believed to be backed by Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, the former president who was disqualified from the race. If successful, Mr Rohani could reinstate some of the reformist voices purged from the system after the disputed presidential poll of 2009.

Mohammad-Reza Aref

Once a vice president under the regime of Mohammad Khatami ‒ which wanted to retain Iran’s Islamist system but make it more democratic and open ‒ the 61-year- old is seen as a reformist candidate. The disqualification of Mr Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani means that the regime will likely point to Mr Aref’s presence on the polling list as a sign that the election is free and fair. Mr Khatami had however publicly thrown his weight behind Mr Rafsanjani, but it is doubtful that he will now back Mr Aref who is considered conservative by other reformists.

Mohammad Gharazi

The 72-year-old surprise candidate was minister of post, telegraph and telephone from 1985 to 1997. Prior to that, he was minister of oil. He has previously been governor general of Khuzestan and Kurdistan provinces. There is little information available about what he has been doing since since 1997.