Reasons for Ayatollah Khamenei's Opposition to Ahmadinejad's Candidacy

About nine months before the presidential election, the potential candidacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the controversial former president, has become newsworthy. According to the newspaper Shargh, Mehdi Fazeli, the former head of the Fars News Agency, reported in a note published by this agency that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Ayatollah Khamenei at Ahmadinejad's request. Fazeli writes that the outcome of this meeting, which took place a few weeks ago, was contrary to Ahmadinejad's expectations, as Ayatollah Khamenei explicitly prohibited him from entering the presidential election race next year. Neither Ahmadinejad nor his close associates have reacted to this news yet. The author of this note believes that Ahmadinejad is now at a crossroads, meaning he must decide whether to adhere to Khamenei's guidance or to enter the election race against Khamenei's prohibition. Mohammad Sadegh Javadihesar, a journalist and analyst in Mashhad, told Radio Farda: 'Given his not-so-bright record, if Ahmadinejad is smart, he will not enter the electoral campaign.' In response to the question of how legally binding Khamenei's prohibition on Ahmadinejad's candidacy can be, Ali Alizadeh, a political analyst in London, told Radio Farda: 'Khamenei's order or advice is more advisory than legal.' Despite Khamenei's warning to Ahmadinejad not to participate in the electoral campaign, Ahmadinejad attended a national conference on September 8, 2016, where he spoke to his supporters. In this context, the spokesperson for the 'Combatant Clergy Association' rejected support for Ahmadinejad's candidacy in the 2016 presidential election.