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Raeisi hits back after Rouhani files complaint over debate allegations

Saturday, 06 May 2017 5:57 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 06 May 2017 6:20 PM ]

Iranian presidential candidates Hassan Rouhani (R) and Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi

Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, who is running in the forthcoming Iranian presidential election, has hit back after another contender, Hassan Rouhani, filed a complaint with the country’s Election Campaign Monitoring Committee about allegations leveled against him during a recent live TV debate.

Rouhani’s complaint came on Saturday after Raeisi claimed that the Education Ministry’s Reserve Fund had been plundered during the reign of the 11th administration.

He made the claim on Friday during the second live televised debate among the six candidates contesting the 12th Iranian presidential election.

Raeisi responds to Rouhani’s complaint

In response, Raeisi said Rouhani filed the complaint against him because he had defended the rights of the Education Ministry staff.

Raeisi said he was in possession of evidence proving the issue and pledged that he would not “give up" defending the rights of the people.

Raeisi added that he is proud to defend the rights of teachers.

Meanwhile, Raeisi’s camp said in a statement later on Saturday that it had published the details of the alleged violations in the Education Ministry’s Reserve Fund.

The live debate gathered Rouhani, First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, member of Iran’s Expediency Council Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim, Raeisi, the current custodian of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH) in the northeastern city of Mashhad and former vice president Mostafa Hashemi-Taba.

During the second debate, the hopefuls outlined their agendas on domestic and foreign policy as well as cultural issues.

The previous debate, which took place on April 28, revolved around social issues and involved a verbal back and forth among Qalibaf on the one side and Rouhani and Jahangiri on the other.

Iranians will go to the polls on May 19 to elect the country’s next president.

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