Iran: Mohammad Khatami to Run against Ahmadinejad

He is considered the most open of the Islamic leaders, author of "dialogue between civilizations" and supports greater freedom for women.

TEHERAN (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Mohammad Khatami, ex president of Iran has decided to run in the presidential elections to be held on June 12th next. Khatami was president from 1997 to 2005 and represents an Iran that is more open towards the international community. During his mandate, which lasted two terms, the Puritanism of the ayatollah was mitigated and the media enjoyed greater freedom. Even though the Islamic dress code was law, many women began to wear not only black, blues and browns, but also other colours.

Ahmadinejad has frequently launched the call for a return to Islamic Puritanism, but there has been increasing resistance particularly among the youth. Many newspapers have been closed.

Khatami has promoted a "dialogue between civilisations"; and he expressed solidarity with the United States for the September 2001 attacks. He was also one of the few Islamic leaders who did not criticise Benedict XVI for his Regensburg address.

Launching his campaign, Khatami said he wants the countries wealth to be equally shared among all levels of Iranian society. In the current situation, with sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program, poor relations with the International Community and the rigid control of the economy by conservatives and the ayatollah, inflation has reached 30% and poverty is widespread, despite Iran's being one of the world's biggest oil producers.

Khatami underlines that the elections must be "free and fair" so everyone can cast their vote. Difficulties facing his election are the strict social control exercised by conservatives and the ayatollah as well as the disillusionment of his old supporters by his failure to push through more changes when he was in power.

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