Iran: Hardliners emerge as front-runners for presidency

Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raeisi has emerged as a clear front-runner among potential candidates in the June presidential election, according to an opinion poll carried out in January and February by Iranpoll and the University of Maryland Center for International and Security Studies. When asked in an open question who they would like to be the next president, 28.2% of the Iranians polled named Raeisi, followed by former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (15.1%) and conservative Majlis-e Shura-ye Eslami (parliament) speaker and ex-mayor of Tehran Mohammad Baghar Ghalibaf (6.4%).