Iranians vote on Friday to replace the late president Ebrahim Raisiwho died in a helicopter crash in May in the northwest of the country, along with the Foreign Minister and several other officials.
Analysts largely describe the race as a three-way contest. There are two hardliners, former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. Then there is reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, who has aligned himself with those seeking a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
After record turnout in the last elections, it is still unclear how many Iranians will participate in Friday’s elections.
While the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on all matters of state, presidents can bring Iran into confrontation or negotiations with the West.
At the moment:
— As Iran’s presidential vote approaches, tensions rise over a new crackdown on the use of headscarves.
— An analysis explores how no matter who wins elections in Iran, Much may depend for Tehran on the ‘Great Satan’, on the United States.
– A “Hamster” Cryptocurrency Craze Hitting Iran highlights its economic malaise.
– A timeline explores long-standing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.
— Narges Mohammadi, imprisoned in Iran and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who has already called for a boycott of the vote, was sentenced to another year in prison.
— Follow AP’s coverage of the Iranian presidential elections at https://apnews.com/hub/iran.
Here’s the latest:
While Iranian state TV showed people lining up to vote, most of the polling places The Associated Press visited in the early hours of voting — mostly on Tehran’s north side — were not crowded.
Mahmoud Darrehei, a 49-year-old teacher, said he voted for heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian, the only reformist candidate in the race. “This is the first time I have voted since 2005,” adding that he considers Pezeshkian capable of solving problems caused by years of hardline governments.
At another polling station, Maryam Aalipour, a 32-year-old mother of two, dressed from head to toe in a black veil, said she voted for hardline former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. “He is the cleanest candidate in the election. He knows all the country’s problems and is able to resist US pressure,” she said.
Aria Rahimi, a 37-year-old man who works in a store on Tehran’s upscale Mandela Street, said he voted for Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of parliament. “I voted for Qalibaf before I opened the store,” he said. “We need a president who has experience in managing an important body such as parliament or the police. Qalibaf is the best among them in this aspect.”
As voters cast their votes in Iran’s presidential election, some share their thoughts with the Associated Press.
Toosi, who gave only his first name, said he would vote for someone “who listens to the leader, is revolutionary and is loyal to the principles of the revolution.”
“Someone who is not focused on the West, but on our internal capabilities, on our youth,” he added. “Someone who is obsessed with people, has plans for the future and has a very good track record.”
Toosi’s comments tracked what others who support a hard-line view said on the campaign trail.
Another voter, who identified himself as Ghoochian, said he supported Masoud Pezeshkian, the only reformist candidate in the race.
“I’ve known him for years,” the man said. “His attitude, honesty and integrity make him the best option. That’s why I voted for him.”
A former Iranian foreign minister who reached the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers has given a positive assessment of the chances of the only reformist candidate in Iran’s presidential elections.
Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke on Friday at a polling station in Tehran after casting his vote. Zarif has been a key supporter of heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian, who faces three hardliners in the election.
“We hope that people will choose for themselves and hopefully if there is a large turnout it will be clear who is the majority and who is the minority,” Zarif said.
Zarif also cited what he said was a foreign proverb that bad politicians are elected by good people who do not vote. “Now is an opportunity to vote,” he added.
Zarif and Pezeshkian received a veiled warning from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in the week about their desire to negotiate with the West, especially the United States.
Iran’s interim president, Mohammad Mokhber, voted and said there were no security concerns in the elections.
“We have no security concerns in the elections,” Mokhber said in comments broadcast on state television. “The polling stations and their branches are properly placed in such a way that there is no point in the country or even outside the country where voting is not possible.”
Mokhber served as interim president following the helicopter crash in May that killed President Ebrahim Raisi. He was Raisi’s first vice president, but did not apply to run in the elections.
Iran’s supreme leader called on the public to vote in early elections to replace hardline President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made brief comments on Friday, speaking to journalists gathered in Tehran to cover his vote.
“I see no reason for doubt,” Khamenei said at the ceremony in a mosque attached to his office.
Khamenei said high participation was a “definite necessity” for the Islamic Republic. He also called the election an “important political test.”
Raisi, 63, was seen as a protégé of Khamenei and a possible successor to the position of Iran’s supreme leader, who has the final say on all matters of state in the Shi’ite theocracy.
Any Iranian aged 18 or over can vote in Friday’s elections. There are 58,640 voting centers across the country, located in mosques, schools and other public buildings. Voters first need to present their national identity card and fill out a form. They then dip their index finger in the ink, making an impression on the form, while officials stamp their ID so they can’t vote twice. In secret voting, the voter writes down the name and numerical code of the candidate for whom they are voting and places it in the ballot box. Voting lasts from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., although authorities routinely keep polls open for at least several hours afterward.
Iranian presidents serve four-year terms and are limited to serving two terms. Iran’s president reports to the supreme leader, and in recent years the supreme leader’s power appears to have strengthened amid tensions with the West. However, a president can change the state’s policies on both domestic and foreign matters. Former President Hassan Rouhani, for example, signed the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers with the blessing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The hard-line tact adopted by the late President Ebrahim Raisi also had Khamenei’s support.
Iran describes itself as an Islamic Republic. The Shia theocracy holds elections and elects representatives who pass laws and govern in the name of their people. However, the supreme leader has the final say on all matters of state and the Guardian Council must approve all laws passed by parliament. Those who led Iran’s Green Movement after the contested re-election of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009 remain under house arrest. Security forces answerable only to the supreme leader also routinely arrest dual nationals and foreigners, using them as pawns in international negotiations. Mass protests in recent years have resulted in bloody crackdowns on dissent. Meanwhile, hardliners now hold all the levers of power within the country. The Guardian Council approves all candidates and has also never allowed a woman to run for president. It routinely rejects candidates who call for dramatic reforms, stifling change.
