Iranian newspapers gave a resounding thumbs down to the first televised debate between the candidates for this month's presidential election, echoing criticism from the hopefuls themselves of a format they said stifled real discussion.
Iranian presidential candidates (L to
R), former parliament speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, former first vice
president Mohammad Reza Aref, former chief of the Revolutionary Guards
Mohsen Rezai and former chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani attend a
live debate on state TV in Tehran Photo: AFP/GETTY
Conservative candidate Mohsen Rezai, a former commander of the elite
Revolutionary Guards, told his own Tabnak website that he would boycott the
other two debates scheduled for next Wednesday and Friday if the format does
not change.
The reformist Bahar newspaper said the quality of the debate had been "comical".
Another reformist daily, Etemad, commented: "Television has turned the
most important political event into an entertainment programme."
Even the hardline Kayhan newspaper said the debate had "failed to live up
to expectations".
All eight candidates who secured the approval of Iran's conservative-led
electoral watchdog to stand in the June 14 election took part in the
four-hour debate.
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