Candidates for Iran's presidential election [Who's who]

Reuters ^ | 6/17/05 | Reuters

[freedom44]

TEHRAN (Reuters) - The following are brief portraits of the seven candidates competing to replace reformist Mohammad Khatami in Iran's presidential election on Friday:

AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI

A mid-ranking cleric who has held most of the top positions in Iran's political structure and is widely considered to be Iran's second most powerful figure after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Rafsanjani, 70, was president from 1989 to 1997 and is a moderate conservative who favours closer ties with the West and liberalisation of the state-heavy economy. He is credited with bringing the costly 1980-1988 war with Iraq to an end and masterminding covert arms-for-hostages deals with Washington in the 1980s. He now heads the Expediency Council -- a powerful arbitration body with legislative powers -- and leads opinion polls for the presidential vote.

MOHAMMAD BAQER QALIBAF

A former Revolutionary Guards commander who was appointed national police chief in 2000 and presents himself as a traditional, but independent, conservative candidate. Qalibaf, 43, is credited with modernising and improving the severe image of the police force and won praise for his tactful handling of pro-democracy student demonstrations in 2002 and 2003. A former military pilot, he keeps his skills fresh by co-piloting occasional commercial flights on domestic routes. Opinion polls put him second behind Rafsanjani.

MOSTAFA MOIN

Served as minister of higher education under President Khatami where he was a staunch defender of students' rights until his resignation in 2003. A committed reformer, Moin, 54, has pledged to appoint a vice-president to tackle human rights abuses, resume talks with Washington and review the powers of unelected clerical leaders. Moin is the most popular reformist candidate but lacks Khatami's charisma and popular appeal.

MEHDI KARROUBI

Parliament speaker from 2000 to 2004, this mid-ranking cleric, 68, is a close ally of Khatami who failed to retain his parliamentary seat in 2004 elections. A moderate reformist, he has promised to give all Iranians over 18 a monthly 500,000 Rials government stipend.

ALI LARIJANI

Head of Iran's state broadcasting monopoly for 10 years until he stepped down last year and became a security adviser to Khamenei. Larijani, 48, is a former member of the Revolutionary Guards who was selected earlier this year as the official candidate of the main coalition of traditional conservative parties but has little popular support.

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD

Elected mayor of the sprawling Iranian capital after a vote marred by record low turnout in 2003, Ahmadinejad, 49, is a leading member of a new generation of lay politicians fiercely loyal to Khamenei. A former special forces officer of the Revolutionary Guards he appeals to the religious poor.

MOHSEN MEHRZALIZADEH

Vice president for sports since 2000, Mehralizadeh, 50, was governor of Iran's second most populous province Khorasan from 1996 to 2000. The least-known of the three reformists in the race, he has made almost no impression in opinion polls.

[Calpernia]

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