TEHRAN – Mohammad Reza Aref, head of the Hope parliamentary group, has said that the reformists would support President Hassan Rouhani in the upcoming presidential election, ISNA reported.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Aref said the policy-making council of the reformist movement would support Rouhani provided that he expresses his readiness to run against for the presidential post.

“We will not pass over Rouhani,” he said.

The key reformist lawmaker said the most important challenge to President Rouhani is pushing for voter turnout, emphasizing that efforts should be made for a huge turnout in the upcoming election.

“We give good grades to the [current] administration’s performance,” he said, reaffirming the Hope faction’s support for Rouhani.

Answering a question on the possibility of Rouhani’s disqualification, Aref said it is highly unlikely that he would not be among the candidates approved by the Guardian Council unless he wouldn’t wish to take part in the election due to fatigue.

Welcoming principlists who support the Rouhani administration, Aref said, “We are ready to cooperate with [such] factions in the presidential and city council elections.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the senior MP honored the memory of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and admired him for playing a key role in uniting various political movements.

“Finding a replacement for Mr. Hashemi is not an easy thing to do,” he said, noting that the former head of the Expediency Council had unique characteristics, which all members of the council respected.

Aref further said that Ayatollah Hashemi’s absence is difficult for the reformists as well as the whole country.

MH/PA