Iran hard-liners call for election ban on Rafsanjani, Mashaei

Published May 15th, 2013 - 10:13 GMT
Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (C) arrives with his daughter Fatemeh (C-R) to register his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election at the interior ministry in Tehran on May 11, 2013. (AFP)
Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (C) arrives with his daughter Fatemeh (C-R) to register his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election at the interior ministry in Tehran on May 11, 2013. (AFP)

Ultra-conservative Iranian lawmakers have called on the Guardian Council to prevent two contenders from running in the presedential elections, AP reported.

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, a moderate and preferred candidate of the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been targeted by hardliners for his supposed un-Islamic attitudes.

Another high-profile moderate candidate, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is facing criticism from the same group, who accuse him of supporting opposition groups in the disputed 2009 election.

A report by the Fars news agency on Wednesday stated that around 100 lawmakers called on the Guardian Council to bar the two contenders from the race.

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