Reformist candidate Abbas Akhundi stated in an opinion piece that the atmosphere surrounding this election is cold, and the government needs to shift its approach if it wants to attract the “silent majority”. Akhundi associated the limited number and general homogeneity of vetted candidates with public apathy to the election, arguing that “only through transformational discourse, by understanding the issues of Iran and empathising with the nation, will we find a way to break this freeze and create hope”. Akhundi was nominated as a candidate for the Reformist Front on Sunday, and named on a corruption indictment on the same day.
