Iran's Larijani to run in March parliament poll

By Zahra Hosseinian

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Former Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, a political rival of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, registered on Friday to run in the Islamic state's March parliamentary election.

Larijani, whose resignation in October exposed a rift with Ahmadinejad about tactics in handling negotiations with the West over Iran's nuclear ambitions, would be one of the highest profile candidates in the March 14 election.

The vote will pit conservatives who now dominate the assembly against more moderate politicians seeking a comeback.

Larijani is seen as a pragmatic conservative critical of Ahmadinejad's hardline stand in the nuclear row with the West.

The official IRNA news agency said 4,100 people, including 250 women, had so far signed up during a week-long registration process as candidates in the election for the 290-seat legislature ahead of a midnight deadline.

The result of the election will have no direct effect on policies such as Iran's nuclear plans, which are ultimately determined by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But political analysts say it may influence the debate.

Larijani, who remains an influential figure, suggested he had only reluctantly agreed to run.

"My view about signing up for the election was not positive. But in the past two weeks some religious leaders ... asked me to take part in the election," he was quoted as saying.