Iran: Mir-Hossein Mousavi ponders on candidacy

Mir-Hossein says he will ‘think’ of candidacy if Khatami stays out Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (MNA) – Former prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi announced on Monday that if Mohmmad Khatami stays out of the presidential race he will “think” about his candidacy. Mousavi said he will “delay” his decision until two months later when former president Khatami will declare his decision.   “If Mr. Khatami prefers not to run I will think about this subject,” Mousavi told a students meeting.   Mousavi said he favors Khatami’s candidacy.   “My red line is Khatami,” he noted, “As long as there is a possibility that he (Khatami) will run in the election I do not think of it, and if Mr. Khatami prefers not to run I will think about this subject.” Reformists have put great pressure on Khatami to run in the next year’s presidential election. However, he has so far refused to enter the race.  “At the current situation I consider Khatami the best choice for presidency.”   The former prime minister also dismissed all reports that have been attributed to him so far about the presidential elections.   Mousavi acted as a senior advisor to Khatami when he was president.  Mousavi refused to run in the 2005 presidential elections despite please by Khatami and former Majlis speaker Mahdi Karroubi.   Mousavi was prime minister from 1981 to 1989 when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was president. The post of prime minister was abolished in an amendment to the constitution in 1989.