Ahmadinejad's ex-minister joins presidential race Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:44:27 GMT

Former Iranian interior minister Mostafa Pour Mohammadi has announced his bid to contest the presidency in the upcoming elections. "I hope the Principlist camp will reach a consensus," IRNA quoted Pour-Mohammadi, who is the current head of Iran's General Investigation Organization, as saying. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad replaced Pour-Mohammadi over policy differences in March 2007. "I belong to the Principlist front and will support any decision made in the camp" regarding the presidential election, the ex-minister said. Secretary General of Iran's National Confidence Party Mehdi Karroubi, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mohammad Jahromi and first vice-president under former president Mohammad Khatami, Mohammad-Reza Aref, have so far announced their candidacies for the presidential race. Later in the day, former Reformist Iranian president Khatami, who ran the office from 1997 to 2005, reportedly announced he would join the fray for the Iranian presidency. Incumbent Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is also believed to have the intention of seeking a second term in office. Iran's tenth presidential election will be held on June 12, 2009. (This news from Irna, Iran, Januari 20, 2009)