Registration of Ghalibaf and Jahangiri in the Last Moments of the Legal Deadline

In the final hour of the legal deadline for presidential election candidates, Es'hagh Jahangiri, the First Vice President of Hassan Rouhani, and Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the Mayor of Tehran, registered to run. According to reports, Es'hagh Jahangiri registered in the last minutes of the legal deadline and emphasized that Hassan Rouhani remains the main option for reformist groups in the election. After registering, Jahangiri told reporters that he dismissed the possibility of Rouhani being disqualified, stating that he is the 'main figure' supported by reformists in the election. He added, 'It is possible for several people from one faction to enter, but ultimately one person will be chosen. In the principlist current, more than 10 candidates have also registered.' Jahangiri mentioned one of his goals for candidacy is to defend the record of the 11th government, asserting that he has never been separate from Hassan Rouhani. He also stated that Rouhani has his place in the election and 'I will defend my plans.' Hours before Jahangiri's registration, ILNA reported that Hossein Marashi, Hossein Kamali, and Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari, three reformist figures, had asked Rouhani to have Jahangiri as a 'cover candidate' in the election. Previously, some reformist figures, including Morteza Alaviri, emphasized their support for Rouhani and stated that for reasons such as the possibility of Rouhani not being nominated, disqualification, and not receiving votes, they should introduce a 'cover candidate' alongside him. According to Alaviri, the aim of introducing a 'cover candidate' is not to compete with Rouhani but to ensure that this political faction is not empty-handed in a potential 'critical moment.' However, Gholamreza Ansari, a reformist figure and member of the Central Council of the Unity Party, reported on March 9, 2017, that in a meeting of the Reformist High Policy Council with Rouhani, 'some of Rouhani's associates did not welcome this proposal and believed that Rouhani's individual presence in the campaign would have a more positive impact.' On Saturday, Mohsen Rahami, another reformist figure, registered for the presidential election, stating that he did not enter the election as a 'cover candidate' and has an independent program. Rahami announced that last Wednesday, he met with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic along with Rasoul Montajebnia, the Deputy of the National Trust Party, to discuss the elections and the house arrest of the leaders of the Green Movement. Although details about this meeting have been published by Montajebnia, Rahami himself did not mention any details. Mohammad Hashemi, brother of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, also registered as a presidential candidate on Saturday, referring to the country's 'undesirable' conditions. Hashemi stated at the Ministry of Interior that he registered due to a 'sense of duty' and also 'recommendations' from Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Fatemeh Hashemi, daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, commented on her uncle's candidacy, stating that her father was not opposed to having another 'alternative' candidate alongside Rouhani 'to continue the moderate current in case of problems,' but the decision in this regard rests with 'the elders of the reformist and moderate currents.' Ghalibaf's promise for an 'economic revolution' Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the Mayor of Tehran, also registered for the elections on Saturday in the last hour of the legal deadline. After registering, he severely criticized the performance of Hassan Rouhani's government, stating that 'only four percent of the society is satisfied with the current situation.' According to Tasnim News Agency, Ghalibaf promised that if he wins the election, he will increase the country's income by two and a half times and create five million jobs within a four-year term through an 'economic revolution.' He emphasized that he will implement a 'structured and precise program to solve the immediate problems of low-income groups.' Ghalibaf is among five candidates from the principlist group known as the 'Popular Front of Islamic Revolutionary Forces' or JAMNA, and prior to him, Ebrahim Raisi, Alireza Zakani, and Hamid Reza Hajibabaei had also registered as initial candidates from this group. Another candidate from the five-member list of JAMNA, Mehrdad Bazrpash, also appeared at the Ministry of Interior on Saturday afternoon, but according to ISNA, his presence at the Ministry was 'after the legal deadline for registration' and 'at insistence,' and he left without registering. ISNA later quoted Bazrpash as saying that he 'withdrew from registering in favor of the revolutionary forces.' The Stability Front's criticism of Ahmadinejad's candidacy and the Popular Front of Islamic Revolutionary Forces On Saturday, the principlist organization known as the Stability Front, formed by forces close to Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, announced in a statement that it would later announce 'the results of its investigations and suggestions regarding the best candidate.' This statement implicitly accused the 'Popular Front of Islamic Revolutionary Forces' of turning the 'unity mechanism' of principlists into 'share-seeking' and 'a process akin to a joint-stock power company.' The Stability Front had previously stated in a statement that it has 'no plans to join new political groups for participation in the presidential election.' It was also previously reported that Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi stated that he would not accept 'any coalition' in the 2017 presidential election and would not promise support for any candidate. In its statement on Saturday, the Stability Front also expressed its 'explicit opposition' to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's candidacy and urged him to 'act on the advice' of the Supreme Leader 'before it is too late.' Ahmadinejad registered for the presidential election despite Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's opposition to his candidacy, and his nomination faced strong and explicit reactions from a group of conservatives. Saeed Jalili was also mentioned as a potential candidate for the twelfth presidential election, but he did not register for candidacy in this election.