Dubai:

Iran started on Thursday registration of candidates for an early election next month following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV.

Once seen as a possible successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s ageing ultimate decision-maker, Raisi’s sudden death has triggered a race among hardliners to influence the selection of Iran’s next leader.

After the five-day registration period, the Guardian Council, which oversees elections and legislation, will vet the candidates running for the presidency.

“The vetting process will be seven days and then qualified candidates will have almost two weeks for the election campaign,” Vahidi told state TV. The Guardian Council will publish the list of qualified candidates on June 11.

Moderate politicians have accused the 12-member hardline Guardian Council of disqualifying rivals to hardline candidates, who are expected to dominate the upcoming presidential race.

Turnout may be hit by restricted choice on the ballot and rising discontent over an array of political, social and economic crises.

Within Iran’s complex mix of clerical rulers and elected officials, Khamenei has the final say on all state matters such as nuclear and foreign policies. But the elected president will be in charge of tackling worsening economic hardship.

The registration of candidates could include Parviz Fattah, a former Guards member who heads an investment fund linked to the leader, and Saeed Jalili, a former chief nuclear negotiator who in 2001 ran Khamenei’s office for four years, insiders said.

Interim President Mohammad Mokhber and former parliament speaker and a Khamenei adviser, Ali Larijani, have also been mentioned in Iranian media as possible candidates. Larijani was barred from standing in the 2021 presidential race.

Several low-key moderate politicians are likely to enter the race.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

(From left) Ramon Magsaysay, General Zia-ul-Haq, Ebrahim Raisi, Sebastian Pinera, and Samora Machel.

On Monday, officials and state media announced that Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a hardliner considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border. The charred wreckage of the helicopter, which crashed on May 19, Sunday, was discovered early Monday morning after an overnight search conducted in blizzard conditions.

Also Read: Iran helicopter crash LIVE Updates

The helicopter, a U.S.-made Bell 212, had slammed into a mountain peak, although the exact cause of the crash remains unknown. Among the victims were Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and a senior imam from Tabriz city.

The loss of prominent world leaders in air crashes has often marked significant turning points in history, sending shockwaves through the political landscape and leaving nations in a state of uncertainty.

Here’s a list of similar incidents: