A poll has shown that former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and former Higher Education Minister Mostafa Moin are leading in run-up to the presidential elections, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

The poll, held by IRNA, showed that 27.1 percent of 45,834 eligible participants said they would vote for Rafsanjani while 18.9 percent for Moin. Rafsanjani, a powerful veteran of the Islamic Revolution and pragmatic conservative, has been the front runner according to most of polls held since he hinted that he would stand in the race earlier this year.

Otherwise, 16.5 percent voted for former police chief Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and former Majlis (parliament) Speaker Mehdi Karroubi gained 10.8 percent.

Former Tehran Mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad followed with just 7.7 percent of the votes but still ahead of former head of the state broadcasting body Ali Larijani, Vice President Mohsen Mehralizadeh and former head of the Revolutionary Guards Mohsen Rezai.

As for outcome of the presidential race, 20.4 percent said Qalibaf would win, and Rafsanjani comes second with 20.1 percent, and Moin won 17.3 percent.

Meanwhile, 54.8 percent said they would "definitely" participate in the voting against 7.9 percent who said they would not do so.

Iran's ninth presidential elections will be held on June 17. Incumbent President Mohammad Khatami is ruled out from the race because the law bans anyone from seeking a consecutive third term.

Source: Xinhua