Iranian Presidential Candidates Hold First Debate

June 01, 2013

Presidential candidates (clockwise from left) Mohammad Gharazi, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Hasan Rowhani, Mohammad Reza Aref, Ali Akbar

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

Iranian voters are considering which candidate to support in the presidential election on June 14th. The eight approved candidates met Friday in the first of three planned debates. They took turns answering questions about Iran’s economy. Recent government reports say inflation is rising at a rate of over 12 percent a year. The unemployment rate is over 13 percent.

The two leading candidates appear to be Saeed Jalili, Iran’s chief security official, and the mayor of Tehran, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf. Some observers say Mr. Jalili is the likely favorite. He has worked in the office of the country’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He is also lead negotiator in nuclear talks with western nations. The United Nations Security Council has passed resolutions against Iran for failing to obey limits on its nuclear program. Iranian oil exports have dropped by almost 50 percent as a result of foreign opposition to the nuclear activities.

Mayor Ghalibaf has been a popular leader. He was able to complete major transportation projects in a weak economy by joining with Chinese companies. He formerly served in the Iran-Iraq war and as national police chief. Earlier this month, rights groups released a recording of his comments about dissidents. He is heard claiming that he ordered police to fire on students during demonstrations.