Iran Live: Uncertainty over the Presidential Election

The Supreme Leader's "2+1 Committee" --- failing to establish a unity candidate for June's election?

See also Iran Caption Competition: Ahmadinejad Dresses Up in Africa
Saturday's Iran Live: An Ahmadinejad Election Comeback?

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1555 GMT: Election Watch

Mehr posts a series of pictures of a de facto election rally by President Ahmadinejad and his would-be successor, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, in Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran.

In his speech, Ahmadinejad criticised those "who want to decide for people" and indicated that support payments, covering the cost of his subsidy cuts, could be increased by five times.

Mehr:also claims that Ahmadinejad is planning a meeting with 85 bloggers and an "Epic of Presence" rally for women and youth.

1435 GMT: Bank Watch

Iran's Bank Mellat has suffered a serious loss in assets in Turkey amid international sanctions.

The US blockade on Bank Mellat has severely affecting its ability to do business with local banks in Turkey.

According to data provided by the bank, the total assets of Bank Mellat’s Turkish operation fell from TL 3.5 billion in 2011 to TL 408 million in 2012.

1335 GMT: Reformist Watch

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1335 GMT: Reformist Watch

Former President Mohammad Khatami has told a meeting of the Baran Foundation that ruling is "impossible without the will of the people".

Despite pressure to stand in June's Presidential election, Khatami has made no commitment.

1325 GMT: Economy Watch

Mehr reports, from a statement from the National Iranian Oil Company, that authorities are beginning to barter oil for food and medicine.

0905 GMT: Election Watch

Mohsen Hashemi, the son of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, has said that his father still has another two weeks before ifnally deciding whether he wants to stand for the Presidency.

Mohsen Hashemi, the former director of the Tehran Metro, pointed to the formal registration period in early May as the deadline for Rafsanjani's decision.

Rafsanjani and his allies have indicated that the former President would not run but would support the candidacy of his assocaiate on the Expediency Council, Hassan Rohani.

An EA correspondent evaluates:

[A recent news] item was to test the waters and see the extent to which there is animosity to a Rafsanjani candidacy. I guess that Rafs is under a lot of pressure to run, and is probably making sure that [former President Mohammad] Khatami does not run and Rohani backs down before committing.

Meanwhile, Saeed Jalili --- Secretary of the National Security Council and Iran's lead nuclear negotiator --- has left open the possibility of a candidacy while saying that he will remain independent of any faction.

0715 GMT: Food Watch

The opposition site Rah-e Sabz claims that the price of cooking fat will be raised 30%. Rises are expected for other commodities, the site claims, as subsidised currency will be restricted to imports such as wheat and corn.

0500 GMT: Election Watch

A curious article from Press TV, "Speculations High Over Two-Time Presidents’ Potential Bids", highlights the political uncertainty over June's election.

Part of the curiosity lies in the misleading, diversionary headline assertion. Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani has said in the past week that he will not run, and reformist former President Mohammad Khatami has avoided any commitment to a campaign.

Then there is the curiosity of the other campaigns that Press TV chooses to highlight: the vocal effort of Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Council,  and that of the "Committee of Five", which includes four Presidential candidates such as former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki:

Principlist candidate Mohsen Rezaei made it clear on Saturday that he would not withdraw in favor of any specific party....

Rezaei made the remarks in response to an invitation for coalition from former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, another presidential candidate from the Followers of Imam and Leadership Front.

That development points to an attempt by principlist factions to unite their blocs before formal declaration of candidacies in early May, even if Rezaei --- who would bring to the "Committee of Five" a military dimension, with his background as commander of the Revolutionary Guards --- has turned down the intial offer.

And that in turn points to the most signfiicant curiosity of the article; what it leaves out.

There is no reference at all to the Supreme Leader's "2+1 Committee", designated to pick a unity candidate for the ballot. Thus, there is no mention of the members of that committee --- and potential Presidential choices --- the Supreme Leader's representative, Ali Akbar Velayati; former Tehran mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf; and leading MP Gholam Ali Haddad Adel.