TEHRAN, Oct 24: Iranian women have been barred from standing in next year's presidential polls after a powerful conservative body stood by its literal interpretation of a single but ambiguous word in the constitution.

The Guardians Council stipulated that the word 'rejal' means "man", a significant interpretation given that under the constitution the president of the Islamic republic "must be elected from the religious and political 'rejal'".

"Up until now the Guardians Council's interpretation of the word is its literal meaning, that is male gender," a spokesman for the council was quoted as saying.

"Those who devised the constitution also discussed this issue and they were mostly concerned with the gender," he added. The disputed word, which comes from Arabic, could also be interpreted as meaning "personalities" in Persian and this is the translation used in some English translations of the constitution.-AFP