Top Iran religious figures urge hopefuls to respect law

Religious figures and senior seminary scholars in the holy city of Qom have asked presidential hopefuls to abide by the law when the Guardian Council publishes the list of approved candidates for Iran’s June 14 election.

On Tuesday, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad-Ali Alavi-Gorgani said those who adhere to the law are actually safeguarding the dignity of the Islamic Republic before the watchful eyes of the international community.

Similarly, Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi-Amoli said Iran’s enemies have invested heavily in the upcoming presidential vote and want to decrease the voter turnout.

He added that the enemies would do everything in their power to undermine the integrity of the election.

Top Iranian clerics are calling on all presidential hopefuls to put aside their differences and pave the way for an epic turnout in the upcoming presidential as well as city and rural council polls.

A total of 686 hopefuls registered from May 7 to 11 for the Islamic Republic’s 11th presidential election. The Guardian Council, which is tasked with vetting hopefuls for candidacy and confirming the election results, is expected to submit the list of the candidates to the Interior Ministry on Tuesday.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election.