Posted on 03/16/2009 1:38:09 PM PDT by forkinsocket
Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami is to withdraw his candidacy from the country's June presidential election, the BBC understands.
Mr Khatami was president of Iran from 1997-2005 and was succeeded by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a conservative.
Mr Ahmadinejad is expected to stand for re-election.
Mr Khatami's apparent decision to withdraw leaves Mr Ahmadinejad in a stronger position, says the BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran.
Despite heavy criticism of his management of the economy, among other things, Mr Ahmadinejad could well win another four years in power, our correspondent says.
Mr Khatami was the most liberal president since the revolution.
But he entered this campaign reluctantly and unenthusiastically, adds our correspondent, and it soon became clear that many of those in power in Iran did not want him to return as president. One city prevented Mr Khatami from campaigning with the excuse that it would cause traffic jams.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
He has outed himself as Arab? ;o)
LMAO, glad to see the BBC is objective in it's reporting. /s
In their world view Hitler and Stalin were conservatives too.
The NappyOne
Why bother? The mullahs will rig the election to make sure he doesn’t win anyway.
That’s true, and of course Saddam Hussein.
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