Iran Bars Two Contenders From Presidential Race
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gestures to supporters during a ceremony to swear Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro (not pictured) into office, in Caracas April 19, 2013. Maduro was sworn in as Venezuela’s president on Friday at a ceremony attended by several countries’ leaders, after a decision to widen an electronic audit of the vote took some of the heat out of a dispute over his election. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins (VENEZUELA – Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) – RTXYSQX
Two well-known candidates who had submitted their registration papers for Iran's June presidential election won't be on the ballot. That includes former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's former Chief of Staff, Rahim Mashai. Iranian journalist Shirin Jafaari says the decision might mean that some Iranians stay away from the polls. "I'm already hearing people saying, 'Well we are not going to vote this year. What's the point of voting when everyone is carefully selected?'" Jafaari says. "There's not a lot of choice right now."