TEHRAN - There is no restriction on women standing in presidential elections, a spokesman for constitutional watchdog the Guardians Council said, according to a Mehr news agency report on Saturday.
"Women have sought to be candidates in the past and the Guardians Council has no special opinion. There is no restriction and no law on the nomination and assessment of women candidates," Abbas-Ali Kadkodaye said.
"The Guardians Council has never rejected anyone's candidacy because it was a woman or a man, and when a woman's candidacy was rejected it was because she did not have the overall skills," he added.
To describe candidates for the presidency, the Iranian constitution uses the word "rejal," which in Arabic implies a man but which in Farsi means a political figure.
"The council has never put an interpretation on the word 'rejal'," Kadkodaye said.
The presidential election is scheduled for June 12.
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