Dec 17, 2004, 12:08 PM

Conservatives have reached consensus on Larijani candidacy:source

TEHRAN, Dec. 17 (MNA) – The conservatives have reached a consensus over the candidacy of Ali Larijani, former TV director, in the presidential election, an informed source has said.

“Certainly, Ali Larijani will be the final candidate of the conservatives,” the source told the Mehr News Agency.

The source added that this decision would be announced soon.

Former Majlis speaker Ali Akbar Natequ Nuri has the final say in the conservative camp and his latest speech about the presidential election indicated that Larijani is the favored candidate, the source commented.

Natequ Nuri lost to the incumbent President Mohammad Khatami in the 1997 presidential election.

Larijani is currently acting as the Supreme Leader’s representative at Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

The next presidential election in Iran will be held in mid-2005 in which the conservatives are poised to win.

MS/HL

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MNA

News ID 9524