Irans next elected president must follow the ideals of Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khameneiand avoid questioning the Islamic republics foundation, said a senior member of the countrys Revolutionary Guard Corps.In the elections we must make the right pick and choose someone who wont question the regime, Ayatollah Khameneis representative to the guards, Ali Saeedi, was quoted as saying in a report today by the state-runMehrnews agency.
The president must follow the ideals and goals of the supreme leader and have values, and not let position or pressure change him, Saeedi said in a speech yesterday.
The comments seem aimed at PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has challenged Ayatollah Khameneis authority ever since his 2009 re- election amid widespread protests over voter fraud allegations. They come asIranprepares for a presidential election in June. Ahmadinejad is constitutionally unable to run for a third consecutive term.
The race takes place amid accelerating inflation and a drop of about 40 percent in the national currencys value against the dollar as a result of tighter U.S. and European Union sanctions over the countrys nuclear program.
Irans supreme leader is appointed for life by senior clerics and is the ultimate decision maker for the nations affairs, while the president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term.
By Bloomberg
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