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Pressure on Khatami to run again Published: December 18 2008 17:28 | Last updated: December 18 2008 17:28 Mohammad Khatami, the former reformist president of Iran, receives dozens of visitors who travel to Tehran to pay their respects. Sitting on carpets in a spacious living room, the visitors, who come from all walks of life, are united in their demand: they want Mr Khatami to run for president in next June's election and end the era of Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad. The pressure on the 65-year-old cleric, who served as president for two terms before Mr Ahmadi-Nejad, has intensified in recent weeks. People from dozens of provinces across Iran have been streaming to his office, arguing that he is the only politician with sufficient popular support to beat Mr Ahmadi-Nejad - who is expected to run, though he has not yet declared his candidacy. Those clamouring for Mr Khatami's return include many reformists but also some prominent conservative politicians. In a meeting attended by the Financial Times this month, one student representative told Mr Khatami that if he decides not to run, he will be ignoring the wishes of students, women and workers. A woman activist joins in, saying that a political leader should not stand back and expect to be invited to Iran's power circles - he must fight for his place. "If we stand up and move forward, then we will not be ashamed before God, the country and history," she says. The emotional pleas, some laced with poetic verses, move the cleric to tears. Mr Khatami tells his visitors that if he is hesitating, it is not because he is afraid of the challenge. The former president says he is not looking for a comfortable, non-controversial life. He simply wants to make sure that his candidacy would help, rather than exacerbate the country's problems. But, should he become president again, Mr Khatami vows, he would not compromise on his call for a more democratic government. The former president tells his guests that economic development cannot be achieved without democracy. "In this country democracy must rule . . . freedom must be defended," he says. Next year's poll comes at a crucial time in Iran's nuclear dispute with the west, which has escalated since Mr Ahmadi-Nejad was elected in 2005. Although Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has the final say on nuclear policy the president has significant influence. Iran's presidential election comes as the US looks for a possible shift in policy towards Tehran, with the new administration of Barack Obama expected to try to launch a dialogue. Officially, Mr Khatami has until April to register as a candidate but he is expected to make up his mind much sooner than that. Although some of those close to him say that the pressure to run is becoming intolerable, Mr Khatami's reluctance is born out of his troubled experience during the two terms he served from 1997 to 2005. He used to say that he faced a crisis every nine days as he tried to advance reforms that were opposed by unelected institutions in Iran. His push to provide greater freedom to political and human rights activists was not always successful while many ordinary people felt his presidency ignored their daily economic struggles. The surprising 2005 victory of Mr Ahmadi-Nejad, a radical conservative, was a harsh blow to reformists. Iran's hardliners have continued to undermine the reformists since, hoping to prevent them making a comeback. Mr Khatami's supporters say they have more realistic expectations of what he can deliver if he were to become president again. "We don't want you to resolve problems overnight. We want at least to have the minimum standard of life," says one visitor who complains about economic hardship and spiralling prices. "People do not have any specific expectations . . . even for [political] reforms," another visitor tells Mr Khatami, expressing concern about the impact of international sanctions imposed because of Iran's nuclear programme. Regime insiders say it is doubtful that the supreme leader would be pleased to see Mr Khatami back in power. Many reformists worry that the regime might mobilise its financial and logistical muscle against the former president. Ayatollah Khamenei praises Mr Ahmadi-Nejad as "revolutionary, committed, efficient, active and brave", in what analysts and diplomats say was a veiled warning to Mr Khatami to stay away from the poll. Mr Khatami may be the strongest but is also not the only reformist candidate. Some reformists are supporting Mehdi Karroubi, a mid-ranking cleric who has a record of speaking out and defending political prisoners. He has already announced his candidacy but would be expected to withdraw if Mr Khatami joins the race. Many of those who attended the meeting leave unsure whether Mr Khatami will heed their calls. His final remarks to the gathering are that the rise of one individual is not important. "What matters is who can do a better job," he says. Push for power: the likely presidential contenders ?Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, Iran's president, has not yet announced his intentions but there is little doubt he will seek re-election in June. ?Mehdi Karroubi, a moderate reformist, still believes he should have gone into the second round of presidential elections in 2005 and alleges that rigging helped Mr Ahmadi-Nejad sweep to power. Reformists say they would have supported the 71-year-old if they were convinced he had a reliable popular base. ?Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, a fundamentalist, has been Tehran's mayor since 2005 after he lost the presidential election. A former Revolutionary Guards commander, he is considered a moderniser and respected by different political groups as an efficient manager. ?Hassan Rowhani, a moderate conservative, is best known as Iran's top nuclear negotiator from 2003 to 2005. The 60-year-old is believed to have received the green light from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and has recently increased his attacks against Mr Ahmadi-Nejad's economic policies. ?Ali Larijani, a traditional conservative, repaired his image in domestic politics by winning parliamentary polls earlier this year and was elected speaker. However, analysts believe he might not risk his current strong position by running for president. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
