Mohammad Khatami presidential campaign, 2009
Encyclopedia
Mohammad Khatami
, former President of Iran
, announced his candidacy for 2009 Iranian presidential election
on February 8, 2009. Khatami later pulled out of the race.
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
, former President of Iran
President of Iran
The President of Iran is the highest popularly elected official in, and the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran; although subordinate to the Supreme Leader of Iran, who functions as the country's head of state...
, announced his candidacy for 2009 Iranian presidential election
Iranian presidential election, 2009
Iran's tenth presidential election was held on 12 June 2009, with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers. The next morning the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's official news agency, announced that with two-thirds of the votes counted, Ahmadinejad had won the election...
on February 8, 2009. Khatami later pulled out of the race.
Campaign events
- On February 10, 2009, BARAN foundation claimed anonymous group of Ahmadinejad supporters tried to attack and beat Khatami with stick during annual march of revolution victory. Mohammad Ali AbtahiMohammad Ali AbtahiHojjat ol-Eslam Seyyed Mohammad Ali Abtahi is an Iranian theologian, scholar, pro-democracy activist and chairman of the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue. He is a former Vice President of Iran and a close associate of former President Mohammad Khatami...
, close adviser to Khatami confirmed that report.
- On February 12, Hossein ShariatmadariHossein ShariatmadariHossein Shariatmadari is the managing editor of Kayhan, a conservative Iranian newspaper.Before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Shariatmadari was allegedly tortured by Iranian Shah's Police or SAVAK .Hossein Shariatmadari is the managing editor of Kayhan, a conservative Iranian newspaper.Before the...
, editor-in-chief of hardliner newspaper KayhanKayhanKayhan is an influential newspaper in Iran. Directly under the supervision of the Office of the Supreme Leader, it is regarded to be "the most conservative Iranian newspaper."...
, wrote a controversial article and threatened Khatami with assassination like former PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
popular Premiere Binazir Bhutto.
- On March 16, Khatami officially dropped out of the Presidential race in order to endorse Mir-Hossein MousaviMir-Hossein MousaviMir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh is an Iranian reformist politician, artist and architect who served as the seventy-ninth and last Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was a Reformist candidate for the 2009 presidential election and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election...
, who he believes will stand a better chance for real reforms against the conservative establishment.
- Maziar Bahari of NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine reports an unnamed adviser to Khatami told him that Supreme LeaderSupreme leaderA supreme leader typically refers to a figure in the highest leadership position of an entity, group, organization, or state, who exercises strong or all-powerful authority over it. In religion, the supreme leader or supreme leaders is God or Gods...
Ali KhameneiAli KhameneiAyatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
"became quite upset" when he heard Khatami had decided to run for president, and "sent a personal message to Khatami asking him to step down." Khatami denies that the Supreme Leader made any such request.
Endorsement
- Families of Iran-Iraq war martyrs including families of:
- Air-Force Generals Babaei,
- Air-Force General Sattari
- General Bakeri
- Former Minister Tondgooyan
- General Jahan-Ara
- Shiroudi
- Ashrafi Esfahani
- Labafi-Nejad