Khatami Decides to Run for Re-election: ReportsIranian President Mohammad Khatami has decided to run for a second term, a move which is expected to remove speculations on his intention, newspapers reported on Sunday.During a meeting on Thursday of the Majma'e Rouhaniun Mobarez (MRM) (Assembly of Combatant Clergy in Tehran), to which Khatami belongs, he voiced his readiness to run in the presidential elections slated for June 8, the Tehran Times said. Citing an informed source, the conservative daily said that the uncertainty over Khatami's intention to stand for re-election has now been removed, adding that people will now begin to voice their expectations from him during his second term. The Persian-language Aftab-e Yazd daily said that the MRM, led by Majlis (parliament) Speaker Mahdi Karrubi, has chosen Khatami as its sole candidate for the elections. The MRM is to hold a meeting with the presence of Khatami Sunday evening, after which the pro-reform militant clerics league is expected to officially invite Khatami to be its candidate, according to the daily. Meanwhile, another Persian-language daily, Jomhuri-e Eslami, citing informed sources, reported on Saturday that Khatami has made a "definitive" decision to run for re-election. Mohammad Reza, Khatami's younger brother and secretary of the pro-reform Islamic Iran Participation Front, was quoted as saying that Khatami was evaluating the situation and possible incidents following the presidential election in order to make a final decision over his candidacy. Despite reformists' and allies' appeal and pressure on him to run for a second term, Khatami has refrained from announcing his final decision, showing his hesitation to take the step. He has complained that he could not fully execute his powers due to hurdles put by the conservatives. Khatami, who won a landslide victory in the 1997 election, has to register his candidacy by May 6. |
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