prominent in part at least because he is backed by mohammed khatami, the former president. two others are former parliament speaker and reformist candidate. >> you blight -- i'm sorry, go ahead. >> the other is a revolutionary guard commander and he's more from the conservative wing of the iranian regime. >> you wrote there are no credible opinion polls in iran. is there an indication of a front-runner? >> you know, until about a week or ten days ago, everyone that we speak to in iran was telling us that although there are no a incredible opinion polls mahmoud ahmadinejad seems to be a clear front runner but seems it's shifted in the last week or so

because mir-hossein mousavi appears to have gained strength. to what extent can he really challenge mahmoud ahmadinejad remains to be seen. usually in 83 year on election makes it does run so i think people will be watching very carefully over the next few days to see how well mir-hossein mousavi's message of more moderation is received by people. >> tell us about some of the main issues in this election. >> i would say there are two main issues. obviously for the iranian voters, the state of the economy is very important. iran now has lower oil revenues, and at the same time it has faced the theories of sanctions that complicated the way iranian business operates and has made it much more difficult for people.

at the same time, iranians are suffering high inflation over 20%. these are issues that worked against president mahmoud ahmadinejad at this point. on the other hand though, he has distributed a lot of money, a lot of handouts to people like salaries, distributed justice shares and shares in big state enterprises. so the poor segment of the population has actually overseen their economics attrition improve in some ways. >> dayron's use of nuclear power is an issue in the united states, is also a part of the election as well? >> malt nuclear, not the nuclear program perce. what is an issue in the election is the foreign policy mahmoud ahmadinejad has followed. all his rivals have been attacking him for what they say

is humiliating iran, attacking iran's dignity, undermining its dignity through turning iran into a state so the nuclear program isn't addressed directly because all the candidates say that they are for the nuclear program and that they would not send uranium enrichment as u.n. security council resolution have been demanding. but more generally, foreign policy is a major issue in the election. >> what will do the six debates play in the election? >> well, there was a very heated debate last night between mahmoud ahmadinejad and mir-hossein mousavi, and i think that this is the first for iran. iranians have never seen such debate. and i think that it will make a difference, although, you know, it was difficult last night to decide whether one of them had

won the the date. but i think that it does introduce them to the candidates much, much better. you have to remember that the rifles to the president have only been given tv time for the couple of weeks before that the president essentials and had on television and all media. >> tell about the supreme leader and how he figures and to both the election and politics in general in iran. >> the supreme leader is the ultimate decision maker on iran on issues of foreign policy, the nuclear program of course. in this election officially he is -- he does not take sides and he keeps saying he doesn't take sides but from his public statements and indeed today for instance he made a public statement that again suggests that he favors mahmoud ahmadinejad.

within the regime though there are other leading figures, such as the former president and mohammed khatami backing mir-hossein mousavi. >> from blonden we have been speaking with roula khalaf, financial times middle east editor. thanks for joining us. >> thanks. next a portion of the debate from june 3rd between president mahmoud ahmadinejad and his leading opponent, mir-hossein mousavi. our coverage of this event is courtesy of state ron iran and network press tv. >> [speaking farsi] >> translator: the words of channel to this is a televised debate of presidential hopefuls. tonight we have to president candidates, dr. mahmoud

ahmadinejad and mir-hossein mousavi. i wish to greet you both and welcome you. why don't you have a few words with the viewers of the program. let's start with mahmoud ahmadinejad please. >> greetings to all of the respected and dignified people of iran. i extend condolences on the demise of the late ali khamenei and wish every irani and prosperity. >> thank you very much. >> greetings to all the viewers and i'm happy that once again through the tv i am talking to you and i would like to the kunkel club departure of ali

khamenei. we all share dignity to khamenei and wish you the best. >> thank you very much. >> well, let me provide a comment at the outset. each one of you will have ten minutes to present your comments, so i will keep track of time and allocate 41 or 42 minutes. actually mr. mahmoud ahmadinejad is going to start. mr. mir-hossein mousavi, you will speak for the conclusion. mr. muller ahmadinejad, basically every person may have independent or social concerns. so, if you want -- since you are

the presidential candidate and you are competing presidential race, what are your main concerns for running for the presidency? >> in the name of god, the passionate and the merciful, initially i thank god almighty to gave me the opportunity to serve the great nation of iran for one term and i also appreciate the nation for all their support and their backing for me. and i hope that the iranians nation will always keep its dignity. we remember the late leader of

the islamic revolution and the martyrs' and to whom we owe all we have nowadays. elections i guess is a making a pair iraq. it isn't only picking one single person, it also means people getting energized for taking leaps towards conquering peaks of success and development. the atmosphere, the vote should be one of fervent zeal and excitement. it should be replete with logic friendship and convergence and brotherhood. at the beginning, i would like to make some complaints about some unfair, let's call it cruel attitude and approach is in great why -- lies and sat atolls

and against the government. in the previous revolution we never had this to be it in the term of one's symbol government or the course of an election, we never saw heavy attack with criticism launched against any government. i think the reason is the friends who decided to enter the stage felt maybe they could never compete with this government and any other construct especially in the field of excellence of services of the government which is unprecedented. any we enter, they also render valuable services, but the function of the government and performance of this government has been tantamount to the performance of several governments. on the international level, unfortunately great success of the people have been ignored. the services of the government

were totally eight milward. i wish they would instead of launching this propaganda i wish they would put forward a plan. in the campaign on fortunately the great people of iran were in -- insulted. why she would disappoint people with ourselves? why should we be so infatuated with power? i personally am not keen on charging such issues. for years i tolerated of those. all these insults directed to me myself i forgive it all and i still like to forgive on this. i announced it several times, but i cannot allow people to be insulted and people's shlaes and

actually people's understanding. this i cannot let go. people do not allow me to take it easy when their dignity is being insulted and in my meetings with people in various cities extensively come and ask me to go to their defense and defend their positions. the root of these misdemeanors and lies and deceptions should be publicized. already promised people to let them know what is happening and i think today mir-hossein mousavi is not sitting in front of me, it is not mr. mir-hossein mousavi alone, it is three consecutive governments in front of me facing me. it's mr. mousavi, mr. khatami.

he served in previous term. as a matter of fact, these people have always been bringing forces together and they've been attacking this government, criticizing this government trying to hurt this government. of course people know all about this, but they should also realize the fact that i am not standing, i am not competing one single candidate, it is a group of people with mr. mousavi of access and cooperating and moving against me. the reason for this heavy pressure on me the past four years and also heavier pressure during the election days, i

think this comes down to one thing. in the past three governments the administrative structures were formed some managerial chains were formed and they went awry. they distanced themselves from the revolution. i don't mean that military services in europe rendered, but gradually, there was a current that came in and acted as if they were as if they possessed and they manipulate it and they had an open hand and doing everything they wanted to do. they stood in front of me, but people defeated them. the past four years they tried to render this government on successful and tried to crush it but with the blessing of god almighty and the support of the people so far we have tried the

path, we are here now in the previous election from inside my rifle received backing and support. at the beginning of this very government, mr. khamenei sent to the states and told them not to be worried that within six months this government will collapse and later on some people gave explanations and that story came to an end. this clearly means planning, extensive planning against this government as this government has been only serving people in the short period of four years it has achieved a great honor domestically and internationally versus the job of the people themselves. you can see their capacities are

flourishing in science and technology and politics especially in foreign policy the people of iran are being respected, among the most respected nations in the world but all of these are being ignored and the greatest lies and insults in the four years especially the last three months have come our way. first i like mr. mousavi and always have respected him, but what has been happening the past three months, this is not justified for me. if we want to realize there are problems in this country, we do not have to necessarily have another actor that there is actually addiction and the course of the troops across the country you realize there are

problems but are these all created the past four years? what about the 24 years before that? and does it mean that there was a have -- have an antiutopia and delivered to me and i turned it out of -- i turned to hell and nothing positive has been done? recently we have employment. you just visited four or five provinces. i have seen the whole country from -- if i'm going to talk about problems people have i should spend all of this session to talk about those problems. still we will be short of time. have you just realized we have problems? we have no unemployment before, no addiction before? no factories, agricultural problems? no issues, industrial problems? all of them relate to this government?

i wish you had offered a plan. one more sentence, one more statement. i was kidding somewhere i said as a joke is on on lucky i am also a candidate and asked the three other candidates what would they have to take people and i shall also add during the electoral campaign there is no competition between four people, there are three people against one. whenever they say, even the debate last night it wasn't a debate at all, it was all against one person. i think this is a logical, it holds no water and i wish to work on justice. >> thank you. mr. mir-hossein mousavi. >> in the name of god, the compassionate and the merciful i would like to thank all of the viewers and very good points were made, when to discuss them and give answers in a

methodological answer. first of all, i really wish mr. mahmoud ahmadinejad succeeded in his endeavors and i would fancher on schappell problems. if i had the connection, it definitely i would make necessary not to enter the race. i will make a few points and then talk about the main points. mr. khatami and khamenei are great figures and have to put this debate in the debate with mr. mahmoud ahmadinejad and get answer to his points. i answer the race because i feel the danger in fact i am on gwen to touch of the area of mr. khatami. during the four years he is talking about when i was in power during the lifetime of ali

khamenei and if necessary get answer to his plans. i've always loved iran and i think this lot is inherent in all of us. i cannot find any iranian not to be honored to be an iranian who wasn't concerned that the future of iran or the difficulties and problems. we want to create an dayron that is prosperous. the revolution was in fact launched in order to have a great islamic iran and influential iran to be able to lead the pack to and important message to the world but in solving the problems of the

country and in order to achieve the proper place i think there are two ways there can be to managements in this regard. one is on the basis of adventurism and instability and raising the slogans, imaginative moves and also superstition on the basis of selfishness, self-centered miss and not abiding by the rule of law and also on the basis of going to the extremes i am going to forward my discussion on the basis of this framework. okay, another method is logical and professional moves away from superstition and also on the basis of faithfulness and relying on the wisdom and being futuristic and also on the basis of moderation.

if we want to have a powerful iran, i think that the second method is more suitable. we have to move on the basis of the second methodology. indeed, she talked about plans and i have written my plans and programs and i think i have three debates people like to just watch and i think that debates are complementary to each other contrary to mr. mahmoud on initial's severe point because i offer my view points. what is most important in this debate is the main incentive for me to enter the race. as a matter of fact, i am concerned about the future of the country because the present management of the country, and since you started about the

foreign policy let me touch the foreign policy first and then the economic and social efforts. often main problems we are facing are discussed case by case and tangible for all. i am not going to just talk in general terms. i will give examples. one of the problems is in come come compatibility. these slogans are rare indeed but when we say that a country is collapsing and we are going to manage the world these are slogans and there is no practical backing. let me give you an example, a few examples in deed. the release of the british

invaded or encroach upon a rally in waters and for the rest of them it was a great job and should be acknowledged indeed. but immediately on the basis of the framework i mentioned that we have to execute them. why have they encroached upon iran and ayatollah and then we decided to give them the suits to wear and then our president who doesn't belong to himself, it belongs to you and then he went and sold them off and said goodbye to them and then our arranged a ceremony that we don't even organize for the heads of other countries, and did a really preserve the dignity of the nation? i don't think so. it inflicted the laws and undermine the dignity of the iranian nation and created some

of the stand-downs' from the policy and we cannot solve our problems. and then the head of the government had a trip to iraq. we don't clarify them how -- he said they are going to kidnap me. so if they are going to kidnap you, probably the americans should kidnap you. the americans in fact provided the field of the airplane that you traveled with. and then in iraq we went controlled by americans and you had the meeting over there and then we have the american soldiers and the same event happened and you said you were going to kidnap costs, social we

expand our imaginations to the extent it would just influence the foreign policy which is a realm of the national interest, should we solve our problems or create some problems so that it inflicts less on us? and then the issue of saudi arabia. i have heard from others and it has been a number of times in the past i was in power, it is important how we are invited to other countries and then we get the message to them to invite us to go to saudi arabia and then fled friends in the foreign ministry have said and i quote them regarding our demand for being invited to go to saudi arabia and when we go -- one of

the results is the situation our patrons face with saudi arabia and then quoting the head of that country, we talked something against the foreign minister of that country and created some problems in our relations. why should we impose this cost to those who are going to pay and those who are heavy or not. and then a number of times we have heard that and believe the united states is collapsing. if it is so why have we troubled therefore times? blight continuously we are after and a specific manner the swiss president has gone there and

spoke in the parliament and i think he wouldn't take the risk to life was saying he has been given a message to obama to talk before the elections to some house of the relations between the two countries. is it an interest in our country? alladi in the emirate and get the headlines only because you started from foreign policy and foreign policy indeed we have undermined if the dignity of the nation and our country and it inflicted heavy damage and we've created problems for our development and tension with other countries. >> only one more minute and then you can count it at the end. >> well, your time is actually over. >> i will be very brief the holocaust is another issue --

and then again you know that international organizations and security council [inaudible] what happened when i watched like couldn't believe our presidential be treated in this manner because he is the symbol of our country and i will later talk about the prestige and the dignity of the iranian nation and then they announced it, was it a resolution and then the relationship between europe and israel deteriorated because of gauze