Efforts underway to convince Rohani and Aref only one must run

TEHRAN,June 10(MNA) – Iranian MP Mohammad Reza Tabesh said on Sunday that a group comprised of some pro-reform figures and representatives of presidential candidates Hassan Rohani and Mohammad Reza Aref had been formed to help achieve a consensus, in which one of the candidates would drop out of the race in favor of the other. He also said that if the reformists reached a consensus and former president Mohammad Khatami and Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani supported a single pro-reform candidate, it was more than likely that the candidate would win the election. There is widespread speculation that either Rohani, a centrist candidate, or Aref, a pro-reform contender, may withdraw in favor of the other ahead of Friday’s election. The chairman of the election campaign office of Aref also said on Sunday that Aref had not yet decided to drop out of the election. Jafar Tofiqi also said that the results of the reformists’ meetings would be decisive, adding that Aref would abide by Khatami’s decision in this regard. Khatami said on Saturday that it was positive that the reformists had come to the conclusion that a consensus should be achieved between Rohani and Aref.