Aref promises to create one million jobs a year if elected president

Presidential candidate Mohammad Reza Aref says he will create one million jobs a year if he wins the upcoming presidential election.

Speaking in a radio program on Tuesday, the reformist candidate stressed that his top priorities would be tackling unemployment and price hikes.

Aref, a former First Vice President, also said the state subsidy reform plan is a national scheme, which must be implemented fully by the next administration.

The candidate further called on all Iranians to take part in the country’s upcoming presidential and city council elections.

Other candidates include Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, President of the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council Hassan Rohani, lawmaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, Secretary of Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei, former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, and former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi.

Iranians will go to the polls in the country’s 11th presidential election on June 14. The fourth city and rural council elections are also scheduled to be held on the same day.

Voters will cast their ballots at over 66,000 polling stations across the country, and some 285 polling stations will be set up for Iranian nationals in other countries.

Nearly 50.5 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential election, with more than 1.6 million first-time voters.