Hardliners face reformists in presidential runoff

Voting has ended in Iran’s presidential election, pitting hardline conservatives against reformists.

A runoff election after no candidate obtains a majority first round election On June 28, turnout hit a record low of 40%.

Preliminary election results are expected to be announced on Saturday morning local time.

The vote follows the election of former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi. Killed in helicopter crash In May, seven more people died.

One of the candidates, former heart surgeon Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, is critical of Iran’s notorious moral police.

Dr Pezeshkian caused a stir by promising “unity and cohesion” and an end to Iran’s “isolation” from the world.

He called for “constructive talks” with Western powers to restore the shaky situation 2015 nuclear deal Among them, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of Western sanctions.

Dr Pezeshkian’s rival Saeed Jalili favors maintaining the status quo. The former nuclear negotiator enjoys strong support among Iran’s most devout religious groups.

He is known for his hardline anti-Western stance and opposition to reviving the nuclear deal, which he says crosses Iran’s “red line.”

To qualify, both candidates must pass a vetting process run by the Guardian Council, a body of 12 clerics and jurists who wields significant power in Iran.

The process resulted in 74 other candidates withdrawing from the race, including several women.

The Guardian Council has previously been criticized by human rights groups for disqualifying candidates who are not sufficiently loyal to the regime.

After years of civil strife – culminating in the anti-regime protests that rocked the country in 2022-23 – many young and middle-class Iranians have a deep distrust of those in power and have previously refused to vote.

With first-round turnout falling to its lowest level since Iran’s 1979 revolution, voter apathy could be the decisive factor in the runoff.

exist iranian social mediaThe Persian hashtag “Rebel Minority” quickly went viral, urging people not to vote for either candidate and calling anyone who did so a “traitor.”

But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected suggestions that the low turnout represented a rejection of his rule.

“There is a reason [behind the low turnout] Politicians and sociologists will study them, but if anyone thinks that those who didn’t vote are against the establishment, they are clearly wrong,” he said.

He made a rare admission that some Iranians do not accept the current regime. “We listen to them, we know what they are saying, and they are not hidden from view,” Khamenei said.

Within Iran, local media encouraged people to vote.

The reformist daily Sazandegi said “the future depends on your votes”, while the Hammihan newspaper said “it is your turn now”.

Hamshahri, a daily run by Tehran’s municipal government, published an article titled “100 reasons to vote,” while Jaam-e Jam, a daily run by the state broadcaster, said Iran was “waiting for the people.”