Iranian Women Banned
from Running for Presidency,
Associated press, April 28,
1997
TEHRAN - Only recognized statesmen
who are committed to Iran's Islamic
government will be allowed to
run in May presidential elections, a top
election official said Monday.
The remarks by lawmaker Ayatollah
Emami Kashani, who heads a panel that
will screen candidates, appeared
to signal government plans to weed out
candidates it deems undesirable
and bar moves toward secularism....
Kashani said candidates must
be committed to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who
succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini...
Khamenei stands above the government
and constitution. But since
Khomeini'sdeath, there has been
growing debate about whether anyone
should have that kind of power....
The paper said Azam Taleqani,
the first Iranian woman ever to
announce her candidacy, would
be rejected because the constitution
does not allow women to run
for president.
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