Post by G Faroukh on May 22, 2009 10:06:35 GMT 4
A key Iranian conservative bloc backing incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 presidential election has called for a massive voter turnout as campaigning got off on Thursday.
Iran's electoral watchdog the Guardians Council has cleared hardliner Ahmadinejad to stand in the poll along with a fellow conservative, a moderate and a reformist.
The other candidates are former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai, former premier Mir Hossein Mousavi and ex-parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi.
The final lineup was revealed on Wednesday by Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli who also announced the start of campaigning up until 24 hours before election day.
The Followers of Imam and Leader's Line - a coalition of 14 conservative parties - announced in April their support for Ahmadinejad.
On Thursday the bloc's secretary general Habibollah Ashgharoladi told a conservative gathering: "Our interpretation from the comments made by the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) is that we should have an election with a massive turnout.
"The elected president should win the poll with the highest number of votes and ... after the election we should witness a national unity."
"The voters should turn up at the polls en masse, regardless of who they vote for and during the campaign the followers of each candidate should refrain from slander which could jeopardise national unity after election."
Iranian officials have said that 46.2 million Iranians are eligible to vote in next month's poll. The Interior Ministry has said results will be announced a day after the election.
Iran's electoral watchdog the Guardians Council has cleared hardliner Ahmadinejad to stand in the poll along with a fellow conservative, a moderate and a reformist.
The other candidates are former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai, former premier Mir Hossein Mousavi and ex-parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi.
The final lineup was revealed on Wednesday by Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli who also announced the start of campaigning up until 24 hours before election day.
The Followers of Imam and Leader's Line - a coalition of 14 conservative parties - announced in April their support for Ahmadinejad.
On Thursday the bloc's secretary general Habibollah Ashgharoladi told a conservative gathering: "Our interpretation from the comments made by the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) is that we should have an election with a massive turnout.
"The elected president should win the poll with the highest number of votes and ... after the election we should witness a national unity."
"The voters should turn up at the polls en masse, regardless of who they vote for and during the campaign the followers of each candidate should refrain from slander which could jeopardise national unity after election."
Iranian officials have said that 46.2 million Iranians are eligible to vote in next month's poll. The Interior Ministry has said results will be announced a day after the election.