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Tehran, May 15 (IANS) Saturday marked the last day that candidates could register for Iran's presidential elections next month.
Incumbent President Hassan Rouhani cannot stand for re-election after two terms in office, reports dpa news agency.
Among the opposition, Judiciary Chief Ibrahim Raeissi is a contender for the reformer camp.
Several former generals from the Revolutionary Guards have also applied to run in the election set for June 18, prompting discussion of a military government.
Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also wants to run for election.
Considered a hardliner in the past, he is now more critical of the system and is likely to be rejected by the Guardian Council, which vets and approves all the candidates.
Renowned reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh on Friday also announced his candidacy, the first time a regime critic has registered for the role in the Islamic Republic.
The Guardian Council weighs whether the candidates are ideologically qualified to run for the post.
There are other criteria too: Potential candidates must be aged between 40 and 75, for example.
A more fundamental problem is the prevailing disillusionment with politics.
Only a third of Iran's 58 million eligible voters are likely to take part in the election, a study found.
Disappointment with Rouhani and the reformers is widespread, as they have failed to fulfil their election promises.
There is reportedly little faith in the opposition, either.
Officials are currently trying to prevent the kind of low turnout levels recorded in the 2020 parliamentary election.
--IANS
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