Idea of national unity government is not viable: Iran`s Aref

TEHRAN,Jan.6(MNA) – Mohammad Reza Aref, who has been mentioned as a possible reformist candidate in Iran’s 2013 presidential election, said that the idea of a “national unity government”, which has been proposed by Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is not viable. Aref, who is a member of the Expediency Council, made the remarks in an interview with the Iranian magazine Mosallas. Asked about his plan for the presidential election, which is scheduled to be held on June 14, he said he should solicit support from the pro-reform camp in order to “observe the rules of the game” if he decides to run in the election. Aref, who formerly served as vice president under Mohammad Khatami, also stated that he has not yet consulted with any prominent pro-reform figures about his possible candidacy for the election. Elsewhere in his remarks, he said that the reformists should participate in the election because “participation in the election is both an obligation and a right.” He also said that the ground should be prepared for the participation of all political groups in the election. The reformists should be provided with a platform to express their views and defend their policies, he said. He went on to say that the reformists should not set conditions for the system to participate in the election, adding he hopes that political prisoners will be released.