The Interior Ministry announced the date of vote Friday, saying that city and village council elections will be held the same day.
President Ahmadi-nejad is barred by the Constitution from running for a third consecutive term. But the constitution does not bar a former president from running for a third non-consecutive term and some reformists want former President Moham-mad Khatami to seek the office again because they see him as their best chance for victory.
The very conservative Council of Guardians decides who can go on the presidential ballot. Many reformists expect the Guardians to veto a strong reformist candidate but believe they would not risk vetoing Khatami after they had approved him twice before.
If Khatami does not run, there are likely to be many reformists bidding for the office—and many reformists trashing anyone who seeks to run, saying the race is fixed and reformists should not legitimize the contest by participating.
On the conservative side, no one has yet declared his candidacy, even though the balloting is now just nine months away.
Khatami has publicly stated that reformists need to run a candidate next year. Many conservatives, however, try to categorize all reformists as “seditious” elements who oppose the Islamic Republic and thus have no right to run. Khatami has gone out of his way to say repeatedly that true reformists support the Islamic Republic and are seeking change only through the Constitution.
Many reformists object to efforts at reconciliation as long as those who opposed the announced outcome of the 2009 elections remain in prison or under house arrest.