TEHRAN, May 24: Iranian hardliners on Tuesday agreed to allow two reformists to stand in next month’s presidential election amid fears their disqualification could provoke a mass public boycott of the polls. The U-turn by the Guardians Council, a powerful political watchdog, came in response to a demand from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and warnings the government was facing a crisis of legitimacy.

The head of the Guardians Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, was quoted as writing to Ayatollah Khamenei that “as you consider it desirable that all people in the country from different interests have the opportunity to take part ..., the competence of Mr Moin and Mr Mehr-Alizadeh is recognised”.

Mostafa Moin was the candidate chosen by the main reformist party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), and is seen as the only credible pro-reform figure trying to run for president on June 17.

Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh is currently a vice president in incumbent reformist President Mohammad Khatami’s cabinet, and is running as an independent. Their addition to the ballot sheet brings to eight the number of candidates approved to stand.

The other six are powerful former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, four hardliners — Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Ali Larijani, Mahmud Ahmadi Nejad and Mohsen Rezai — and the moderate former parliament speaker Mehdi Karoubi.

Rafsanjani has been promoting himself as a moderate and had been seen as the frontrunner, although the scandal surrounding the initial blocking of Moin may now give the reformists a boost.

In a statement carried by official media, Ayatollah Khamenei himself asserted that “people’s participation in the elections will make the enemies disappointed”, and called on the candidates “not to resort to animosity and keep the brotherly atmosphere”.—AFP