Rezaei attacks Hemmati and Raisi

Mohsen Rezaei took aim at Abdol-Naser Hemmati’s record as Governor of the Central Bank in an interview today. Rezaei, who is putting himself forward as an expert on economy, saying that Hemmati has abandoned control over liquidity during his term as Governor, and allowed inflation to get out of control. Rezaei also made a reference to the protection of Ebrahim Raisi, mentioning comments by the Tehran Prosecutor that criticism of the judiciary by the candidates constitutes a red line. Reformist candidate Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh also criticised the red line issue, saying that Raisi should have resigned as Chief Justice by now and implying he was using his position to deflect criticism.

Read and watch Rezaei’s interview at Tasnim
Read Mehr-Alizadeh’s Tweet on Twitter

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Hemmati Launches Slogan

Abdul Nasser Hemmati announced his slogan to be “interaction from home to the world”. Hemmati explained his slogan as follows: “the living conditions of the people and the governance of the country cannot improve without an agreement to lift sanctions and improve relations with the world and the region, alongside domestic problem-based agreements within the political and social forces, and between the government and its citizens”. 

Read more at Entekhab

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Hemmati: I Will Only Serve One Term

In a statement that mirrored disqualified candidate Mohsen Hashemi, candidate Abdol-Naser Hemmati said that he will only serve one four year term as his “goal is for the government to be technical and not political”, meaning his administration will not be restrained by the need for re-election. Hemmati is the governor of the Central Bank of Iran, and has promised that “if this government is formed, it will be the first government headed by economists”.

Read more at Alef

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Hemmati and Zakani in Twitter War

Rival candidates Abdol-Nasser Hemmati and Ali-Reza Zakani engaged in a Twitter battle today over the economy. After Hemmati said that he was standing as a voice for the silent majority, Zakani commented that people’s silence benefited Hemmati, before joking that if elected, he would make Hemmati the governor of the Central Bank (his current role) for life on the condition that Hemmati increase the value of the national currency. Hemmati hit back saying Zakani obviously had no understanding of economics and any second-year undergraduate student can teach him how the value of national currency is determined. 

Read more at the Young Journalists Club

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Hemmati: I am a Voice for those Protesting

Abdol-Nasser Hemmati said that he aimed to be “the voice of the majority of people protesting against the current situation”, adding that he had an achievable plan to fix the economic situation. Hemmati described himself as a “third voice”, neither Reformist nor Principalist. Hemmati’s comments tread a fine line in Iran, which has experienced two large waves of protest which were violently suppressed over the past four years. 

Read more at Entekhab

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The Interior Ministry Announces Candidates

The official list of candidates approved by the Guardian Council was announced this afternoon at the Election Headquarters by the Ministry of Interior. The list, which was one of Iran’s worst kept secrets, includes seven names: Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Abdol-Naser Hemmati, Saeed Jalili, Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh, Ebrahim Raisi, Mohsen Rezaei and Ali-Reza Zakani. Notable disqualifications include Ali Larijani and Eshaq Jahangiri, most of whom accepted disqualification, with the expected exception of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The only Reformist among their number is Mehr-Alizadeh.

Read the announcement at IRNA

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Final Candidates Sent to Ministry of Interior, Fars Leaks Candidates

The final list of vetted candidates has been sent by the Guardian Council to the Ministry of Interior, who will announce the list on the afternoon of Tuesday May 25. FarsNews published a list of seven candidates, supposedly leaked by a journalist who was shown the list: Ebrahim Raisi, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh, Saeed Jalili, Ali-Reza Zakani, Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Abdul-Naser Hemmati.

Read more at FarsNews

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