Iranian Presidential Candidate Promises Change

TEHRAN, Iran, (AP) – A reformist candidate in Iran’s upcoming presidential race has vowed to reverse current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies if he is elected.

Mahdi Karroubi, a moderate cleric, also criticizes Ahmadinejad for pushing Iran into international isolation and says he has done a poor job at handling the economy.

The former parliament speaker told reporters on Tuesday that Ahmadinejad also needlessly antagonized the West by claiming the Holocaust is a myth. Karroubi says Ahmadinejad’s “uncalculated” statements have done more harm than good.

Karroubi is one of four candidates — including Ahmadinejad — running in the June 12 elections. The leading challenger to Ahmadinejad is another reformist candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi.