Reformists set conditions for including non-reformers on their list

Spokesperson for the coalition of reformist groups, Abdollah Naseri, said on Monday that since the coalition has to use candidates other than reformers to complete its list, it has set three conditions as the criterion for choosing candidates. In the first place, candidates’ chance for wining votes should be over 50 percent; secondly, they should accept reformist movement’s platform and activities in the last 10 years, and thirdly, the candidates who are to be backed by the coalition should not have questioned the performance of reformist movement. Those who have denied being a reformist won’t be placed on the list, he explained. Reformist coalition can not release a complete 30-candidate slate for the Tehran constituency, he said. After former first vice president Mohammad-Reza Aref withdrew his candidacy, no one will lead reformists’ list, Naseri pointed out. Khatami urges reformists to do serious efforts to enter parliament In a reformists’ meeting held on Sunday evening former president Mohammad Khatami emphasized the need that reformists release lists across the country even in the face of lack of approved candidates. Although the coalition does not have enough candidates in Tehran, Khatami called on coalition members to go all out to make it possible for the remained candidates to enter the parliament. Fundamentalists will not release separate list Ali-Asghar Zareii of the Fragrance of Service allied with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that the group won’t release a list separate from the United Fundamentalist Front’s for the Qom constituency. Based on agreements among all groups within the faction no fundamentalist group will release a separate list in any constituency in the country, he said. The Qom list has not been finalized yet, he noted. Reformist lists to share 17 candidates in common Fatemeh Karrubi, spokesperson for the ‘popular coalition of reformist groups’ declared on Monday the names of 17 candidates common between the reformist coalition and the National Confidence Party for the Tehran constituency. The two pro-reform groups have held a joint session Sunday evening reaching agreement on 17 hopefuls to be placed on both slates, she explained. The coalition would include candidates of other reformist groups and parties on its list on the condition that they put the coalition’s candidates on their slates too, she stated.

MEHR NEWS