TEHRAN, Dec. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian conservatives held an official conference here Saturday to discuss guidelines for the 2005 presidential election.

    At the meeting titled "a new step", several potential candidates unanimously gave priority to the promotion of social justice.As the reformists had held the presidency for nearly eight years, the conservative camp depicted a strong will to keep united to run in the upcoming race.

    According to the English-language daily Tehran Times, the conservative parties have decided to reach consensus on a single candidate among five likely ones to compete against the reformist faction in the presidential election, which is due on May 13. The first possible nominee is Ali Larijani, former director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).Larijani is presently Supreme leader Seyed Ali Khamenei'srepresentative to the Supreme National Security Council.The close relation with the Supreme leader makes him more acceptable but prevents him from enhancing popularity among the average Iranians.

    Similar with the incumbent President Mohammad Khatami, Larijaniserved as Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance ahead of his post in IRIB, which is most conducive to his career due to the dominance of Islam in Iran.

    Therefore, the former IRIB chief was viewed by most analysts as the most promising competitor in the conservative circle as well as the whole election campaign.

    At the conference, Larijani fixed the establishment of social justice as the essentiality for a successful government.On international affairs, Larijani adopted a neutral stance by saying that Iran wisely intended to create a calm atmosphere at home and promote peace in the international arena."We support dialogue with dignity," he specifically pointed out.Larijani also said his economic policies should tend to boost domestic production, adding that the economy should not be dependant on oil.

    Following Larijani, former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayatiis also a powerful contender.

    Welcomed by hardliners, Velayati is also politically related to Khamenei as the leader's advisor on international affairs.In his conference speech, Velayati placed emphasis on diplomacy,his own profession and specialty.

    The former foreign minister's hard line mentality was betrayed by his clear assertion that Iran would strive for its aspiration of "number one in the Middle East".

    He attributed the US hostility to Iran to the message conveyed by the Islamic Revolution of Iran which "led to the awakening of Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan".

    Like Larijani, Velayati also called for economic development to achieve progress and social justice in the country. Not ably, he marked out a specific area in which he would be promoting justice.

    One of the main priorities of the next government is to modify labor law with the purpose of job security, he said.In Larijani and Velayati's remarks, the reprehensions against the incumbent reformist Khatami's cabinet were hidden in the advocate of justice.

    However, such rebukes were more overt in the address of Ahmad Tavakoli, another likely nominee and leading Majilis (parliament)member, who lost to Khatami in the 2001 presidential election. Tavakoli put forward an intense campaign against economic corruption as the top priority of the next government." Four years have passed since we called for a fight against economic corruption but nothing has been done so far in this regard," he said.

    "Currently the public confidence in the government has been reduced and if this trend continues the opportunities will be lost and the threats will become serious," Tavakoli added.Other possible competitors and some powerful figures of the camp such as former Majlis speaker Ali Akbar Nateq Nuri also voicedtheir insistence on social justice.

    Nuri said great importance would be attached to efficiency and social justice in the next presidential election. As it was, the call for "social justice" featured the significant gathering.

    Predictably, justice is going to be a principal slogan for the Iranian conservative camp in next year's presidential election, and corruption , unemployment and the gap between the rich and the poor will be the main blames they find for the Khatami administration during the past eight years. Enditem