Yahya Ale-Eshaq declares presidential candidacy

TEHRAN,March 13(MNA) – The nominee of the Islamic Coalition Party, Yahya Ale-Eshaq, announced on Tuesday his candidacy in the presidential election due in June, saying that his party is ready to interact with the three-member coalition and all other principlist candidates. Talking to reporters, Ale-Eshaq called on all principlist groups to forge a coalition, saying the situation demands unity and empathy between political figures. He also urged the next government to create an “interactive space” instead of the current “confronting space” in the society, underlining that the country cannot achieve progress in such a tense atmosphere. “Establishing a calm atmosphere inside the country and a logical one in foreign relations should be high on the agenda of the next government,” said Ale-Eshaq, a former commerce minister in the Hashemi Rafsanjani administration. Elsewhere in his remarks, Ale-Eshaq noted that the hegemonistic powers have targeted Iran’s economy, saying the country needs to seriously review its economic policy and foreign policy agenda.