Iran has initiated the process of electing its president. Four candidates are competing for this position in the country. This is a highly significant election as it allows over 61 million people to vote.
The Supreme Leader Casts His Vote
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast vote in Tehran. He told journalists that Iranians should participate in large numbers to demonstrate their strength on a global scale because elections are their “day of happiness.”
Results of Elections and Likely Second Round
At first, Iran’s Gatekeeper Chamber cleared six (6) official hopefuls. However, just before the final voting day, Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi and Alireza Zakani exited the race, consequently leaving Saeed Jalili, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi as the excess competitors competing for the administration—a significant component being that women can’t strive for the administration in Iran.
The presidential elections were initially planned for 2025, but after President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash last month, they decided to hold them today; hence, Iranians are voting now.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has invited people to participate actively in Friday’s election.
During the 2021 Presidential Elections, only around forty-nine percent of voters participated, marking the lowest turnout ever recorded in the history of the Islamic Republic. Many reformist and moderate candidates were disqualified, causing no interest among voters.
Iran: Elections Amidst Internal and External Challenges
These elections come at an inconvenient time for Iran as there are many problems, such as inflation internally and the international conflict between Israel and Hamas.
