Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA)- Former Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami said he is personally not interested in running in the upcoming presidential election, but will base his decision on what best serves the interests of the Iranians.
“I have to give serious consideration before I decide whether to run in the election. Personally, I have no desire nor any enthusiasm to return to power,” the former president told FNA.
He, however, added that he would decide to do whatever serves best the interests of the country.
Representing the Reformist Party, Khatami was president from 1997 to 2005. He has been popular among Iranians and in the international community. The Iranian scholar and cleric was the first sitting head of state to introduce the theory of “Dialogue Among Civilizations”.
It has been widely speculated that Khatami would run on the Reformist platform once again and challenge the incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in the 10th presidential election scheduled for June 12, 2009.
The former Iranian president, meanwhile, has cast doubt on whether he would return to the political arena. He said in early October that he would need assurance of his executive powers before running for presidency.
On Friday, Khatami once again reiterated that he needs guarantees that he would be allowed to achieve his goals and reconstruct the country.
“If the ground is not ready for work, (my comeback) would not do any good to anyone,” Khatami said.
