Aspiring candidates were vetted for suitability by the Guardian Council, a panel of six senior clerics and six Islamic jurists. To qualify, a candidate must be of Iranian origin and an Iranian citizen, be considered a distinguished political or religious figure and have an unblemished track record of piety and faithfulness to the Islamic Republic. -- This year the Council trimmed the field of 1,014 hopefuls down to just eight qualified candidates. One subsequently dropped out. Once again, all women were barred from standing despite objections by some senior clerics and human rights lawyers who say they should be allowed to run. --SP 1129 Local Time 0829 GMT
