Muhammad Khatami 2009 presidential campaign explained

Khatami Presidential Campaign
Campaigned For:	Iran presidential election, 2009
Candidate:	Seyyed Mohammad Khatami Former President 1997-2005
Status:	Announced 8 February 2009 Endorsed Mir-Hossein Mousavi 16 March 2009
Affiliation:	Association of Combatant Clerics

Mohammad Khatami, former President of Iran, announced his candidacy for the 2009 Iranian presidential election on 8 February 2009.^[1] Khatami later pulled out of the race.

Campaign events

• On 10 February 2009, BARAN foundation claimed anonymous group of Ahmadinejad supporters tried to attack and beat Khatami with stick during annual march of revolution victory. Mohammad Ali Abtahi, close adviser to Khatami confirmed that report.^[2]
• On 12 February, Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of hardliner newspaper Kayhan, wrote a controversial article and threatened Khatami with assassination like former Pakistan popular Premiere Benazir Bhutto.^[3]
• On 16 March, Khatami officially dropped out of the presidential race in order to endorse Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who he believed would stand a better chance for real reforms against the conservative establishment.^[4]
• Maziar Bahari of Newsweek magazine reports an unnamed adviser to Khatami told him that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei "became quite upset" when he heard Khatami had decided to run for president, and "sent a personal message to Khatami asking him to step down." Khatami denied that the Supreme Leader made any such request.^[5]

Endorsement

• Families of Iran-Iraq war martyrs including families of:^[6]
  • Air-Force Generals Babaei,
  • Air-Force General Sattari
  • General Bakeri
  • Former Minister Tondgooyan
  • General Jahan-Ara
  • Shiroudi
  • Ashrafi Esfahani
  • Labafi-Nejad

See also

• 2009 Iranian presidential election

Notes and References

1. News: Iran's Khatami to run for office. 8 February 2009. 5 December 2022. news.bbc.co.uk.
2. Web site: رادیو زمانه | خبر اول | ایران | حمله به محمد خاتمی در راهپیمایی ۲۲ بهمن. zamaaneh.com. 5 December 2022. fa.
3. Web site: kayhannews . 2009-02-15. fa . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090215203922/http://kayhannews.ir/Detail.aspx?cid=7387 . 15 February 2009 .
4. https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090316/wl_mideast_afp/iranvotekhatami_20090316215829 Iran vote Khatami
5. http://www.newsweek.com/id/199150 "Anyone but Ahmadinejad"
6. Web site: موج سوم؛ پایگاه اطلاع رسانی "پویش (کمپین) دعوت از خاتمی" . 9 February 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090211190458/http://mowj.ir/ShowNews.php?5546 . 11 February 2009 . dead .