DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s parliament speaker registered Monday for the June 28 presidential election.
The entry of Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf brings a prominent candidate with close ties to the country’s parliamentary Revolutionary Guard into the race to replace President Ebrahim Raisi, who died along with seven others in a helicopter crash on May 19.
Qalibaf initially became chairman after a series of failed presidential bids and 12 years as leader of the Iranian capital, during which he built on Tehran’s metro and supported the construction of modern high-rise buildings. He was recently re-elected as chairman.
However, many know Qalibaf for his support Revolutionary Guard general, for the violent crackdown on Iranian university students in 1999. He also reportedly ordered the use of live gunfire against Iranian students in 2003 while serving as the country’s police chief.
Qalibaf ran unsuccessfully for president in 2005 and 2013. He withdrew from the 2017 presidential campaign.
Iran’s parliament plays a minor role in the country’s governance, although it can increase pressure on a presidential administration when deciding on the annual budget and other major bills. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 85, has the final say in all major state affairs.