Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has decided to run for re-election in May, the vice-president for parliamentary affairs said on Sunday, according to state news agency IRNA.
“In recent weeks, Mr Rouhani has reached a conclusion to take part in the presidential elections,” Hosseinali Amiri told reporters.
Rouhani, 68, has been widely expected to run for a second term but has yet to formally announce his candidature for the May 19 election.
He remains popular for stabilizing the economy and ending sanctions through a nuclear deal with world powers.
The conservative camp has so far failed to settle on an obvious challenger to Rouhani, who sits atop a relatively unified coalition of moderates and reformists.
Meanwhile, the only person to throw their hat in the ring has been Hamid Baghaie, a former deputy to former president Mahmud Ahmadinejad who ruled between 2005 and 2013 but fell out of favor with conservatives. Baghaie said he was running as an independent.
Candidates must formally announce their intention to run between April 11 and 15.
The Guardians Council will then have 10 days to approve the candidates.
The official campaign season is just two weeks long, and due to last from April 28 to May 17.
Source: AFP
