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Mohammad Reza Aref has withdrawn his candidacy from Iran’s June 14 presidential election in order to give the reformist camp a better chance to win. The former vice president announced his decision to drop out of the election in a statement issued late on Monday, in which he said the decision was made after he received suggestions from former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who advised to stand aside.

The first televised debate among the presidential candidates was aired on Friday on Iran’s state television.

All eight candidates participated in the event and responded to questions about their economic plans.

The debate format was unprecedented, and the facilitator claimed it was the result of “hours of expert planning.”

TEHRAN (FNA)- Campaigning for the June 14 presidential election kicked off in Iran early this morning after the Guardian Council released the list of qualified candidates.

Under Iran's Election Law, the Guardian Council, the body responsible for vetting hopefuls, is required to announce the list of approved hopefuls within five days after the end of registration. This period can be extended for another five days if necessary.

TEHRAN, May 21 (MNA) – The Guardian Council has qualified 8 candidates for presidential elections, Mashaei and Hashemi Rafsanjani disqualified.

Informed sources communicated the list of qualified candidates to Mehr News.

The same sources had that the following 8 candidates have been qualified for presidential nomination:

1. Saeed Jalili;

2. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf;

3. Gholamali Haddad Adel;

4. Ali Akbar Velayati;

5. Hassan Ruhani;

6. Mohammad Gharazi;

7. Mohsen Rezaei; and

8. Mohammad Reza Aref.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian voters will go to over 66,000 polling stations inside and outside the country on June 14 to elect their next president, Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar announced on Sunday.

Speaking at the end of a session of the central executive committee of the elections here in Tehran today, Mohammad Najjar said that his ministry is fully prepared to hold the election and has set up 1040 executive committees for the upcoming elections throughout the country.

Iran Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Iranian Expatriates Affairs Hassan Qashqavi says Iranian expatriates can cast their ballots for the June 14 presidential election in 120 countries.

Speaking at a meeting with the representatives of electoral executive and monitoring committees outside Iran in Tehran on Monday, he said nearly 300 polling stations have been set up abroad for Iranians to vote overseas.

Former foreign minister, Ali Akbar Velayati, said the Coalition of Three will endorse chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, provided that top clerics throw their weight behind him.

The Coalition of Three brings together Velayati, former Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel and Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf.

Jalili, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of the Expediency Council, signed up on the final day of the registration for the June 14 vote on Saturday.

Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and head of the Secretariat of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Esfandiyar Rahim-Mashaei have registered to run in Iran’s presidential race.

Former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani and Rahim-Mashaei signed up for the June vote in the final moments of registration day for Iran’s 11th presidential election.

Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the process of registration at the Interior Ministry.

Reformist candidates in the municipal elections are being threatened against running, an opposition website reports.

The Kaleme website writes that reformist candidates are being summoned by security bodies to be dissuaded from running in the elections.

“While numerous reformists, critics, and progressive former leaders of the country are participating in the city council elections and have officially registered their names, these days they are being contacted and told not to engage in elections activities,” Kaleme writes.