Iran Kicks Off Its Election Season
Shirin
Candidates for president in Iran have five days beginning Tuesday to submit applications to run for office.
Elections are in June.
Last time around, in 2009, 475 hopefuls registered as candidates.
Only four were approved to run by what's called "the Guardian Council," a group of 12 men — mostly appointed by the country's Supreme Leader.
To put it mildly, the Iranian system is not the democracy we're used to in the West.
It's a very closed system.
The criteria that they look for, which is enshrined in the constitution, is that candidates must be 'trustworthy,' they have to be members of the political elite in Iran, they have to be Iranian, they have to adhere to Shia Islam and of course they can't have a criminal record.
These are more or less vague criteria.
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