A senior Iranian cleric says law-abidance and piety are two essential features of any Iranian president, warning hopefuls against sullying the Islamic establishment’s clean image in a bid to garner more votes.
“The future president must be pious and law-abiding, and people will vote for a president who meets these qualifications,” Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami told worshippers at Tehran’s weekly Friday Prayers.

He called on Iranian hopefuls to adhere to the tenets of the country’s Islamic establishment, noting that the Constitution and Velayat-e Faqih (the rule of Muslim jurisprudent) “are two principles accepted by the nation and [would-be] candidates should not question them.”

Ayatollah Khatami also admonished hopefuls against “unfair and untrue” criticism of the status quo in their campaigns with the aim of winning more ballots, and warned that taking sides with foreign powers would earn them nothing but contempt from the nation.
“The candidates who fail to garner [enough] votes should comply with the law, and even if they witness any irregularities they should act legally…,” he stated.
The cleric called for a high voter turnout in the upcoming election and censured the enemy’s persistent attempts to mar the democratic process in the Islamic Republic.

The registration of presidential hopefuls officially began on May 7 and will run through May 11. According to the Iranian Interior Ministry, 336 people have so far registered for the presidential election, which is scheduled for June 14.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election. The Guardian Council vets the hopefuls and will publish the final list of candidates later this month.

By Press TV

 

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