Israel Matzav

No hope, no change: Ahmadinejad leads in the polls

Iranian elections are scheduled to take place on June 12, and while it's entirely possible that people in Iran lie to the pollsters, the polls currently show the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, leading by a wide margin.

"The opinion poll conducted in Tehran as well as 29 other provincial capitals and 32 important cities on May 3-4, indicates that 58.6 percent will cast their ballots in favor of Ahmadinejad, while some 21.9 percent will vote for Mousavi."

According to the Press TV report, in another more recent poll carried out in Tehran, 44.8 percent of respondents said that given a choice of Ahmadinejad or Mousavi, they would opt for the Principalist incumbent president while some 29 percent said they would pick Mousavi.

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The four main candidates are incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi, former Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi and former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezaei.

Iran's Guardians Council will finalize the name list of those who can run for the presidency after screening the registered candidates. The final list is expected to come out on May 21.

Ahmadinejad also enjoys the support of 'supreme leader' Ayatollah Ali Khameni.

"We should elect those who have popular support and who live in a simple and modest way... are pained by the pain of the people," Khamenei said in an apparent reference to Ahmadinejad who is known for his modest style of living.

"They should be close to people, be away from corruption. They should not be aristocrats themselves so to push people toward aristocracy," he added, speaking in Sanandaj in the western province of Kordestan.

"I think these are important features," Khamenei told a large gathering.

It was not the first time Khamenei has indicated his support for Ahmadinejad.

I guess that since the Obama administration has given up on the idea of regime change in Iran, it no longer matters who wins. Right?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:19 PM