Hardline justice chief stands against reformers in Iranian poll

. Once lambasted for his alleged involvement in mass executions of political prisoners in the 1980s, Raisi has recast himself as a populist, campaigning against corruption, talking to ordinary people about their court cases and travelling to deprived provinces during the pandemic. Raisi is seen as the leading candidate but will be challenged by pro-reform politicians on a list that will be vetted by the Guardian Council, the hardline constitutional watchdog. Before officially registering his nomination at the interior ministry on Saturday, the 60-year-old cleric said incremental changes in the country had not helped it achieve the goal of becoming a strong Iran. “The result of the election should be real development to bring back hope and enthusiasm to society,” he said. “In the near future, the bitter feelings of injustice . . . will turn into the sweet and desirable taste of implementation of justice.” President Hassan Rouhani, a centrist politician who gambled on agreeing the 2015 nuclear accord with world powers, will step down this summer after two terms in office. Donald Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the nuclear agreement in 2018 and impose tough sanctions on Iran was a huge blow to Rouhani and the pro-reform forces who had supported his candidacy. Reformists must win the support of Iranians who backed Rouhani in his 2017 landslide victory over Raisi but who have said they will never vote again in protest against the economic hardship caused by US sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. Many Iranians believe having a hardliner such as Raisi as president would make no real difference as pro- and antireform politicians are all the same. First vice-president Es’haq Jahangiri is the main reformist candidate. He acknowledged on Saturday that public trust in the ruling institutions had declined and that many people no longer believed their votes could make a change. He warned Iranians that the country’s situation was alarming and could get worse if they remained passive. “I understand that many compatriots are upset about misgovernance and have no hopes in the elections,” he said. “We have no other choice but to revive the ballot boxes.” As a member of the outgoing government, Jahangiri is held responsible by many Iranians, including business figures, for their suffering and Rouhani’s poor economic record. Ali Larijani, a 63-year-old centrist politician and former parliamentary speaker, is another top candidate who registered on Saturday morning. He is mostly known internationally as Iran’s former nuclear negotiator. Larijani backed Iran’s president during previous nuclear negotiations and his role in the legislative body was crucial. By standing against hardline forces, he enabled Rouhani to strike the accord with world powers. The biggest challenge of the election is the expected low turnout.