• National

    Tehran Mayor Will Be Elected Sunday

    Tehran City Council Tuesday released the final shortlist of candidates for the mayor’s job and said the body will elect the mayor for the 12-million metropolitan by the weekend.

    Mohammad Ali Afshani, former governor of Fars Province and deputy for civil development at the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development, and Samiollah Makarem Hosseini the current caretaker for Tehran Municipality are on the shortlist, according to Mehr News Agency.

    The council accepted the second resignation of mayor Mohammad Ali Najafi in April after he insisted on being unable to carry out his duties for failing health.

    After that the body came up with a list of seven possible candidates who could take up the helm at huge organization.

    Out of those, five dropped out leaving the council to eventually choose between the current caretaker and Afshani.

    Tehran Municipality has been a launching pad for many mayors to climb the political ladder.

    Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was Tehran mayor from 2003-05, and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who was mayor from 2005-13 and ran three unsuccessful presidential campaigns, are two of such figures.