Iran election roundup, 30 May 2009

Thirteen days left.

The candidates:

Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی نژاد, top left) - you all know him, he wants a second term
Rezaei (محسن رضایی, bottom left) - he's a former commander of the Revolutionary Guard, and even more of a hardliner than Ahmadinejad. His role will be to take hardliner votes away from those disappointed in Ahmadinejad.
Mousavi (میر حسین موسوی, top right) - the other main contender, he was endorsed by former president Khatami and has reformist tendencies. He was prime minister in the 1980s.
Karroubi (محدی کروبی, bottom right) - reformist, and also the only cleric running for office. Says he'll support Mousavi in the second ballot if there is a runoff. It's also possible that he might drop out earlier to support Mousavi.

Articles on the election in general:

• Guardian article on the three campaigns outside Ahmadinejad's
• Obama's upcoming speech in Cairo - not specifically related to the Iranian election, but coming just a bit over a week before the election in Iran it'll be interesting to see what sort of effect it will have. The more well-received it is, the easier it'll be on candidates promising change and not a confrontational attitude with the rest of the world (=not Ahmadinejad). Even Rezaei is running on a more conciliatory approach.
• Economics drive Iranian election
• Marja-e taqlids do not support any particular candidate in the upcoming election
  

Mousavi

• Mousavi says he would review laws unfair to women as president- especially concerning are those regarding the morality police, who enforce Islamic dress on the streets. Another article here on the same subject.
• Booyah! Mousavi slams Ahmadinejad on foreign relations, saying thanks to him Iranian passports are now on par with those of Somalia; follows up with an "our people have not given you the right to disgrace them".
• Mousavi draws student support
  

Ahmadinejad

• Ahmadinejad faces criticism from Iranian foreign policy think tank for exaggerating his role in the nuclear program
  
• Ahmadinejad fires back at nuclear critics
• Ahmadinejad says Iran will never succumb to foreign hegemony

Karroubi

• Photos of Karroubi giving a speech at Amirkabir University in Tehran. Today's big news for Karroubi was that for some reason his speech at the university was deemed illegal for officials, but students overpowered security and took him in to give a speech instead.

Rezaei

• Rezaei gives details of his nuclear plan - would involve the formation of a consortium that would allay concerns while letting Iran continue developing nuclear energy