Instituut voor Islamitische Studies en Publicaties
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WOMAN JOINS THE LIST FOR IRANIAN PRESIDENCY

A woman was among the first to register as a candidate when nominations for the Iranian presidential election opened yesterday.

"If women have the right to vote, they have the right to be elected," Farah Khosravi said as she signed up at the interior ministry in Tehran.

Ms Khosravi, a junior civil servant, hopes to become the first woman presidential candidate; the only woman who previously attempted to stand was barred by the 12-man Guardians Council in 1997.

The official Islamic Republic News Agency described her as "liberal minded". She and her supporters handed roses to journalists and officials during the registration process.

In the course of the day 67 candidates registered, including a publisher, a street hawker and a municipal cleaner. But there was still no word whether president Mohammad Khatami, who has kept the country guessing about his plans, will be standing.

Nominations close on Sunday, and all candidates have to be vetted by the Guardians Council. It has already rejected 145 out of the 356 candidates who registered for parliamentary by-elections on June 8, the same day as the presidential election.

The Iranian constitution says candidates must be "political or religious figures", but it is not clear if this means they must be male. The Farsi word for "figures" is rejal , derived from the Arabic word for a man.

The council, which will rule on May 18, has to give its reasons for rejecting candidates. To reject one on the grounds of gender would be controversial, but it could rely on the well-used formula "non-conformity with Islam".

"The law is not clear, but I hope the council will accept my candidacy," Ms Khosravi said, adding that she intended to focus her campaign on education and the economy.

President Khatami swept to power in 1997 with nearly 70% of the vote on a reform platform which had overwhelming support from women and young people.

There is little doubt that he will win a second term if he stands, but he has been keeping everyone in suspense about his intentions.

It is unclear whether he faces a genuine dilemma or is employing a tactic to throw conservatives off balance.

Stiff opposition from the conservatives, who control such key state institutions as the courts and police, has thwarted his efforts to liberalise Iran during his first term.

More than 30, mostly reform-minded newspapers have been closed since last year, and many of Mr Khatami's political allies have been removed from office or jailed.

In an ambiguous statement to parliament last month, Mr Khatami said: "As long as I am convinced that I am able to put a step forward, in spite of all problems and as long as the people wish it, I will be ready to serve."

Reformers accuse the conservatives entrenched in the judiciary of mounting a campaign to deter him from standing and to weaken his support among the electorate.

Mohsen Armin, a leading reformist member of parliament, said in a recent interview: "The pressures ... are all to prevent Mr Khatami from participating in the elections, and are all carried out by the extremist authoritarian sector of the right faction."

But as long as Mr Khatami refuses to show his hand, the conservatives are uncertain what to do about the election.

The Guardian, May 3, 2001