Two candidates, a reformist and an ultraconservative, are set to face off in Iran’s second round of presidential elections on Friday, amid record low voter turnout and fears of meaningful change at the ballot box. General indifference.
The runoff follows a special vote held after President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in May.
What happened in the first round of voting in Iran?
About 40% of voters turned out to vote on Friday, a record low, and none of the four candidates on the ballot received the 50% needed to win the election.
Reformist candidate Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, a former health minister, and ultra-hardliner Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, received the most votes, sending the election to a runoff on Friday.
Dr. Pezeshkian advanced because the conservative vote was split evenly between two candidates, one of whom received less than 1 percent of the vote.
Turnout may be slightly higher in the runoff. Some Iranians said on social media they were worried about Jalili’s hard-line policies and would vote for Dr. Pezeshkian. Polls show that about half of the votes cast by Jalili’s conservative rival in the first round, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, have shifted to Dr. Pezeshkian.
Who are the two candidates in the runoff?
Experts say Dr Pezeshkian is likely to boost turnout among supporters of reformist parties and those boycotting parliamentary elections in March and the 2021 presidential election. Relieve the severe economic situation.
Jalili, on the other hand, has taken a much tougher stance on negotiations, saying during the debate that he plans to defeat sanctions and strengthen economic ties with other countries.
Iran’s nuclear policy and major national policies are determined by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He gave the green light for the government to indirectly engage with the United States to lift sanctions. Those negotiations are likely to continue no matter who is president.
Will Iranians come to vote?
Although Iranians have historically been very enthusiastic about elections, many did not vote in recent elections in protest against a government they viewed as incompetent and inconsistent with their demands. Many people no longer believe voting will have an impact on their lives and are calling for an end to clerical rule.
Ghalibaf has asked his supporters to vote for Mr Jalili in the runoff, but many of his supporters, including some of his campaign managers, have defected to Dr Pezeshkian’s camp, saying Mr Jalili is critical to Iran’s future destructive and will exacerbate tensions domestically and internationally.
In the 2013 presidential election, Iranians voted for reformist candidate Hassan Rouhani, who campaigned on promises of a more open country and fewer social restrictions. President Donald J. Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions, effectively ending hopes for cooperation in 2018.
When conservative Lacey succeeded Rouhani, prospects for improved social freedoms became slim.
Was this election free and fair?
The 12-member Guardian Council, made up of jurists and clergy, has been accused by many human rights groups of rigging the election by depriving the public of its ability to choose candidates running for office. The list of 80 candidates for this election was reduced to six, with seven women, a former president and many government officials disqualified.
Why is this election important?
The election is an opportunity for the government to prove it can handle the unexpected death of the president without being thrown into chaos by internal protests against the Islamic Republic and tensions with the United States and Israel.
If Mr Jalili is elected, the government is likely to claim victory for its ideologically driven politics.
While the supreme leader is the country’s ultimate authority and is responsible for foreign policy, the president sets domestic policy and can influence social issues such as Iran’s mandatory hijab law for women.
Six years after the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran, the new president’s role in managing the nuclear program is unclear. The issue has become increasingly urgent for the West as tensions between Israel and Iran escalate.
What’s the main problem?
A sluggish economy, U.S.-led sanctions and women’s rights are major issues in this election, as many Iranians have lost trust in a government they see as incapable of enacting change.
Sanctions have crippled the country’s already struggling economy. Public frustration has grown over what some see as a disconnect between leaders preaching austerity and modesty while their families spend extravagantly abroad.
When will the results of the runoff be known?
The day after the first round of voting, the Interior Ministry announced a runoff. Officials are likely to release at least preliminary results by Saturday.
