Tehran mayor Ghalibaf seen as a strong contender in Iranian presidential race TEHRAN - In Iran's first 2013 presidential debate Friday, candidate and Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf looked poised and prepared. While the other seven candidates seemed flustered by the format, which some of them called "insulting," Ghalibaf regularly consulted a tablet that appeared to be an Apple iPad and spoke with certainty to the cameras. The first thing that my government will do is to stabilize the currency. The second is to change the method of distribution of services and goods," Ghalibaf said, referring to some of the most pressing problems of Iran's battered economy. Today we need the trust of our people. My government will achieve this in six months. Who will be the next president of Iran? Here are the eight candidates running in the upcoming presidential election. Latest stories from Foreign Tehran's Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has military credentials and a record of avoiding political rivalries. For more than 2 weeks, Qusair was the scene of a fierce battle between rebels and pro-government forces. Justin Vela and Kevin Sullivan Widespread condemnation of violence by security forces could chasten the prime minister further. Russian visa request meets with objections at summit with E.U.; death toll from European flooding rises. Griff Witte Sixteen Americans are among those prosecuted as groups warn of a chilling effect on rights. If polls are any guide - and in Iran, they are far from reliable - Ghalibaf might have reason to exude confidence. Less than two weeks before Iranians vote , several online surveys conducted by Iranian news Web sites place the technocrat as a top contender in the field of eight conservative candidates vying to replace President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This week, 150 members out of 290 in Iran's parliament signed a letter officially endorsing him. Ghalibaf is viewed warily by some of Iran's political conservatives and clerical rulers, who consider him more focused on pragmatism than revolutionary ideals. But there are few signs that he would make bold diplomatic shifts or decisions about Iran's nuclear program if elected. On Saturday, on a state-run television network directed at Iranians abroad, Ghalibaf said: "The president alone cannot decide foreign policy, as it is the sum of systemwide [decisions]. Our supreme leader and other branches have a say in this. So foreign policy does not change much with the change of president. As the only candidate with real executive experience and demonstrable accountability to the public, Ghalibaf - at 51, the youngest candidate - is making a strong case that he has what it takes to be the Islamic Republic's chief executive. Working in his favor are a solid military background and a highly praisedtrack record as mayor of Iran's sprawling capital of more than 12 million. By the time Ghalibaf was 19, he was a commander on the front lines of Iran's war with Iraq. He rose to the rank of major general before ultimately being named the commander of Iran's air force, a division of the Revolutionary Guard. In 1999, Ghalibaf was named head of Iran's police forces, a position he held until he succeeded Ahmadinejad as Tehran mayor in 2005. In recent years, Ghalibaf has also distinguished himself from other Iranian politicians by mostly avoiding rivalries and instead focusing on addressing the myriad problems of the dilapidated city he inherited. Under Ghalibaf, the perennially traffic-choked and polluted capital's landscape was transformed through massive tree planting and green-space campaigns, bridges were built and city rail lines were extended. Many Tehran residents laud him as a rare Iranian official capable of getting results, and he has won international praise for urban management and been shortlisted for several international mayoral awards.