Council Bars Hundreds of Presidential Hopefuls
A constitutional watchdog has cut the number of presidential candidates from 814 to 46 in an initial weeding out of unsuitable contenders, state-run Tehran television reported.
The watchdog, the Guardian Council, has not identified the 46 survivors but said it will announce Sunday the final list for the June 8 election, the television reported.
The 12-person council is dominated by political hard-liners.
To qualify, candidates must be involved in politics or religion, of Iranian origin, Muslim and “faithful to the cause of the Islamic Republic.”
President Mohammad Khatami is widely expected to be reelected.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.