Guardians Council Permitted to Assess Presidential Candidates’ Plans

A bill ratified on Sunday by the parliament permits the Guardians Council to evaluate the plans of presidential candidates three months ahead of the elections.
It allows the top-level vetting body to carry out a preliminary evaluation of the presidential candidates and assess their competence for the job, Tasnim News Agency reported. 
According to the new measure, the Guardians Council can invite the presidential candidates three months before the Election Day to hear their plans.
The bill also requires the Intelligence Ministry, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ Intelligence Department, General Inspectorate Organization of Iran, Supreme Audit Court of Iran and other authorized organizations to provide documents and records related to the candidates to the Guardians Council within 15 days of the council’s request.
The next presidential election in June 2021 will be held simultaneously with the city council and midterm parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections.
Candidates hoping to run in the next elections are to apply in early April for approval. The final list is to be announced by the Guardians Council in early June.
Under Iran’s law, an incumbent president cannot run for a third term, if he has already served for two consecutive terms in office.