Even before the comments by Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, chances for a woman candidate in Iran's presidential election were considered nearly impossible.
Women also have registered as potential candidates in past presidential elections, but the group that vets hopefuls appears to follow interpretations of the constitution that suggest only a man may hold Iran's highest elected office. Women, however, are cleared to run for Iran's parliament and have served as politicians.
The semiofficial Mehr news agency quotes Yazdi as saying the "law does not approve" of a woman in the presidency and a woman on the ballot is "not allowed."
The Guardian Council, where Yazdi is a member, vets all candidates for the presidency and parliament. A total of 686 people have registered to replace President
Mahmoud Short RoundAhmadinejad, who cannot run for a third mandate because of term limits.
The final list will be announced Tuesday, with only a handful of names expected on the ballot.
While women have greater freedom in Iran than many other countries in the region, particularly Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
and neighboring Afghanistan, it is widely believed that the wording of the constitution closes the door on the presidency.
It says the president will be elected from religious-political men, or "rijal," a plural for man in Arabic that is common in Farsi, too.