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Ahmadinejad, 60, served for 8 years as president
Thomson Reuters
Posted: Apr 12, 2017 3:47 AM ET
Last Updated: Apr 12, 2017 3:53 AM ET
Ex-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad submitted his name on Wednesday for registration as a candidate in Iran’s presidential election in May, state media reported.
The move by the former hardline president was seen as a challenge to the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ordered him not to run.
Registration for the May 19 election started on Monday and will last five days, after which entrants will be screened for their political and Islamic qualifications by a vetting body, the Guardian Council.
Ahmadinejad was president from 2005 to 2013.
He was not eligible to run in 2013 per Iran’s constitution, with the election won by Hassan Rouhani.
Rouhani, who negotiated the nuclear deal with world powers, is expected to run for re-election
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