The former president of Iran who once admitted that he was trying help usher in the arrival of the Muslim Mahdi in Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has filed paperwork to run for the office for a third time in the May 19 election. The move comes in defiance of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who advised him against it. The former hardline president is one of 126 people who registered Interior Ministry on Wednesday for the upcoming election, according to the IRNA news agency.
Registration is open for five days, and more candidates, including incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, are expected to join. The list will be screened by the Guardian Council, a religious body that acts to prevent people of questionable morals or insufficient qualifications from running for secular office. The final election ballot will be announced on April 26-27, and campaigning will officially begin on April 28. READ MORE
