Mehr-Alizadeh Declares His Campaign Colour is Black

Reformist candidate Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh announced that he had chosen the colour black to represent his campaign, as a symbol of his empathy with Iranians who have died of COVID. Black also holds significance in Shi’ism as a colour of mourning for holy figures. The use of colours to represent campaigns has increased in elections in recent decades, with most notable examples being purple representing Hassan Rouhani’s campaign in 2013, and, more controversially, green representing Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s campaign in 2009.

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Hajjarian: Tajzadeh will be Disqualified

Reformist activist Saeed Hajjarian told Donya-e-Eqtesad that it is likely that Reformist candidate Mostafa Tajzadeh would be disqualified by the Guardian Council.  However, Hajjarian added that Tajzadeh has had the opportunity to present his plans for reforming Iran, and this would give him the opportunity to organise a political party around this program after the election. Tajzadeh, who announced his candidacy on Sunday, was imprisoned for seven years after the 2009 election protests, adding to the controversy around his candidacy. 

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Leaked Audio Files Dominates News

The leaked Zarif interview dominated news headlines today in Iran. Most media outlets reported it as embarrassing to the Foreign Minister, although some speculated the recordings might help him. Kayhan, the mouthpiece for the Supreme Leader’s Office, was hostile, taking issue with Zarif’s criticisms of IRGC Commander Qasem Soleimani, accusing the interviewer of sedition (he was imprisoned after the 2009 election), and depicting the Foreign Minister as a stooge and sacrificial victim for Western powers. 

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Zare Foumani announces Candidacy

Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Zare Foumani of the People’s Reform Party announced that he will nominate for President, adding that “we supported Mr Rouhani in 2013, which was wrong, and we apologize to the people and hope they will accept our apology”. The People’s Reform Party was led by Mehdi Karroubi until 2009, after which Zare Foumani, who did not dispute the election result, became leader.

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Karroubi is Hospitalised

Mehdi Karroubi, a former candidate who has been under house arrest since opposing the result of the 2009 election, was hospitalised over the weekend. The 83-year-old had broken vertebrae after falling over at home. The home detention without charge for Karroubi and another former candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, remains to sensitive issue for the Iranian government and has emerged already in campaigning.

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Karbaschi: Tajzadeh’s Nomination a “Good Test” for Iran

Prominent Reformist politician Gholam-Hossein Karbaschi, commented on rumours that former Khatami advisor Mostafa Tajzadeh is considering running for President, saying that if the Guardian Council were to approve Tajzadeh, it would be “a good test to see if the people opt for this kind of tone and speaking, or not”. Tajzadeh spent seven years in Evin prison as a result of his dissent during the 2009 post-election protests, and therefore his nomination would be significant. On Tuesday Tajzadeh tweeted that he was still consulting with friends and colleagues on whether he would nominate.

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Hashemi: Ahmadinejad asked me to Run with Him

Prominent female candidate, Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, told Hamshahri that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had asked her to run on his ticket as his Vice-President, but she had refused because of the events of the 2009 Election, particularly as Ahmadinejad had repeatedly insulted her father, former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, during that period. Hashemi said that “people might change, but if Mr. Ahmadinejad had changed, he should have first apologized” before approaching her.

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