A protege of Iran’s supreme leader and a laid-back liberal, he is tied in the vote count in a snap presidential election marred by voter apathy caused by economic hardship and social restrictions.
More than 14 million votes have been counted since Friday’s vote, with the only moderate candidate Masoud Pezeshkian winning more than 5.9 million votes, while his hardline rival former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili got more than 5.5 million, provisional results from the Interior Ministry showed.
Some insiders reported turnout was around 40%, lower than Iran’s rulers had expected, while witnesses told Reuters there were no crowds at polling stations in Tehran and some other cities.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said a second round of elections to choose the next president was “very likely” following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.
If no candidate wins at least 50% plus one vote of all votes cast, including blank votes, a run-off is held between the top two candidates on the first Friday after the results are declared.
The election comes at a time of rising regional tensions over wars between Israel and Iranian allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as Western pressure on Iran over its rapidly expanding nuclear programme.
Although the election is unlikely to bring any major changes to the Islamic Republic’s policies, its results could influence the succession of Iran’s 85-year-old supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power since 1989.
The clergy demanded a higher voter turnout to overcome the legitimacy crisis caused by public discontent over economic hardship and restrictions on political and social freedoms.
The next president is not expected to bring any major policy changes regarding Iran’s nuclear program or support for militia groups in the Middle East, as Khamenei remains the one who makes all decisions on top government matters.
However, the president runs the government on a day-to-day basis and can influence the tone of Iran’s foreign and domestic policy.
Pezeshkian’s views contrast with those of Jalili, who advocates reconciliation with the West, economic reform, social liberalisation, and political pluralism.
Analysts say a victory by Jalili, a staunch anti-Westerner, would likely signal an even more oppositional turn in the Islamic Republic’s foreign and domestic policy.
Limited options
The election was a contest between a tightly controlled group of three hardline candidates and a low-profile moderate loyal to the supreme leader. The hardline monitoring body approved only six out of an initial pool of 80 and two hardline candidates later withdrew from the election.
“Based on unconfirmed reports, the election is very likely to go to a second round… Jalili and Pezeshkian will compete in the second round of the election,” Tasnim reported.
Critics of the clergy say low voter turnout in recent years shows the system has lost its legitimacy. The 2021 presidential election saw a 48% voter turnout and a record low of 41% in parliamentary elections in March.
All candidates have vowed to revive a faltering economy, plagued by mismanagement, state corruption and sanctions, which were reimposed after the United States abandoned Tehran’s nuclear deal in 2018.
“I think Jalili is the only candidate who has raised the issues of justice, fighting corruption and giving values to the poor. … The most important thing is that he does not link Iran’s foreign policy to the nuclear deal,” said Farzan, a 45-year-old artist from the city of Karaj.
Divided voters
Pezeshkian, loyal to Iran’s theocratic regime, is backed by the reformist faction, which has been largely sidelined in Iran in recent years.
“We will respect the hijab law, but there should never be any intrusive or inhumane treatment of women,” Pezeshkian said after casting her vote.
He was referring to the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, in 2022 while she was in morality police custody for allegedly violating the mandatory Islamic dress code.
The unrest sparked by Amini’s death became the largest display of opposition to Iran’s religious rulers in years.
Pezeshkian has sought to revive the enthusiasm of reformist voters who have largely abstained from voting over the past four years as a largely young population upset by political and social restrictions. He may also benefit from the failure of his rivals to unify the radical vote.
Iranians have widely used the hashtag #ElectionCircus on Christmas in recent weeks, and some activists at home and abroad have called for a boycott, saying a high turnout would lend legitimacy to the Islamic Republic.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)