Day: June 27, 2024
Alireza Zakani, the Mayor of Tehran, formally withdrew from the presidential race just a day before the election in support of the other hardline candidates, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Saeed Jalili.
Zakani is the second hardliner to withdraw after Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi announced his resignation on Wednesday. Both candidates had meager chances, scoring less than 5% in several opinion surveys.
Six candidates were initially approved by the un-elected Guardian Council that vets all candidates and operates under the influence of Supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
In a statement on his official X account, Zakani pleaded with fellow hardliner candidates Jalili and Ghalibaf to unite in order to prevent the ascent of a reform-leaning candidate: “We must consolidate our efforts to address the rightful aspirations of revolutionary factions, thereby preventing the formation of another Rouhani administration.”
AP: Two candidates in Iran’s presidential election withdrew from the race as the country prepared Thursday for the upcoming vote, an effort by hard-liners to coalesce around a unity candidate in the polls to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi.
Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, 53, dropped his candidacy and…
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as Georgia’s sole superstar, is one of the wonders of international football. via @nytimes https://t.co/XD367HUIQA
— Notes from Georgia/South Caucasus (Hälbig, Ralph) (@SouthCaucasus) June 27, 2024
61st Round of Geneva International Discussions. via @CivilGe https://t.co/0al2E8q3C9
— Notes from Georgia/South Caucasus (Hälbig, Ralph) (@SouthCaucasus) June 27, 2024
