It's a no-go for Khatami in 2009

The spokesman for the Baran (rain) Foundation—an organization for international dialogue run by former President Mohammad Khatami—stated that the reformist leader has no plans to run in 2009.

Iranian columnists have long speculated that Khatami would be the reformists’ lead candidate going into the 2009 elections. Although the reformist faction is split between several parties, Khatami remains a popular figure. If he is indeed out of the running (things can change, this is politics after all), then the field will be wide open for the reformists. Two possible names are Reza Khatami (the former president’s brother) and Mehdi Karrubi—a reformist leader and sometimes political rival to the Khatami clique. Both are important reformist leaders but neither enjoys the national profile of the former President.

With Khatami out, and the reformists still picking up the pieces of their fractured movement, it’s not likely that they’ll have much of a presence in the 2009 election. Even if they were to rally behind a particular candidate, that candidate would most probably be blocked from running by the hardline Guardian Council.

[Image: Former President, Mohammad Khatami]