CONTENDER No.1 FOR PRESIDENCY OF IRAN BELONGS TO "CONSERVATIVE CAMP"

TEHRAN, May 3 (RIA Novosti) - The main claimant upon the presidential post in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the current chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani has not yet stated his participation in the election and has set conditions for his final consent - if the conservatives do not reach agreement and do not determine one candidate he will run for election, and vice versa.

This statement of Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who held the presidential post two-times from 1989 to 1997 and who is known for his affinity with IRI spiritual head Ayatollah Ali Khamenei followed the decision of the conservative bloc's representative Ahmad to bow out of the presidential race.

In local experts' opinion, it will be difficult for the remaining eight claimants-conservatives to reach agreement, despite the fact that some of them have declared their independent status. Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who has real chances to be elected president and who is using the increasing contradictions and uncertainty among the candidates in his own interests, cannot but know this fact. In his opinion, "the taken decision can help work out an agreed-upon stand of the conservatives on a single candidate."

Information, which has not been confirmed yet, on a possible refusal of the Expediency Council secretary Mohsen Rezai, who is also running for election from the Right, to participate in the election has appeared.

The reformers are represented by former chairman of the parliament Mehdi Karrubi and ex-Minister of Education Mostafa Moin.

The announced time for submitting applications for participation in the election is May 10-15 included, and, therefore, quite a short time is remaining for taking the final decision. The election itself is scheduled for June 17.

Rumors about an illness of Hashemi-Rafsanjani began to appear against this background, but were then refuted by the Expediency Council medical service.

Some experts hold the view, however, that Rafsanjani will not participate in the election, which he repeatedly hinted at in a covert form.

After the Iranian-Iraqi war of 1980-1989 and the death of leader of the Islamic revolution Ayatollah Khomeini pragmatists, headed by president Ali Akbar Hashemi- Rafsanjani, came to power. He initiated economic market reforms, which made it possible to open the borders, to emancipate Iranian business, and to come out of the postwar crisis. From 1997 current president Mohammad Khatami has been continuing to pursue the policy of reforms, which he has corrected, though all his innovations do not concern the basis of the clerical Islamic regime.