France Hits Out at Iran's Disqualification of Candidates

France on Wednesday condemned Iran's disqualification of hundreds of would-be presidential candidates, saying the Iranian people should be allowed to "freely choose" their leaders.

Ahead of the June 14 election to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the conservative-dominated Guardian Council winnowed the candidate field from 686 to eight, all close to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"The Guardian Council's decision shows the extent of the lockdown on the Iranian system," French foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said.

"The Iranian people must be able to freely choose their leaders and deserve that their most fundamental rights, like freedom of expression and opinion, be respected," he said.

"These elections will take place in an increasing climate of repression in Iran."

Rejected candidates include Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a moderate who served as president from 1989 to 1997, and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, a controversial aide to Ahmadinejad, who is constitutionally banned from seeking a third term.

The disqualifications appeared to leave lead nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, a figure close to top decision-maker Khamenei, as the frontrunner.

Ahmadinejad said Wednesday he will ask Khamenei to reverse what he branded the unjust disqualification of Mashaie.