Presidential election in Iran - Moderate Peseschkian wins run-off election against hardliner
The Islamic Republic of Iran, following the election victory of the moderate presidential candidate, Massud Peseschkian, is facing a possible political shift. The former health minister secured 53.7 percent of the votes against his ultraconservative challenger, Said Jalili, as announced by the spokesperson of the election commission in Tehran in the morning. However, given the intricate political landscape and powerful interest groups in Iran, it is uncertain whether a significant policy change is indeed expected from Peseschkian.
State television broadcast images of supporters celebrating Peseschkian's victory in the early morning hours with car horns. In Tehran, reactions were initially reserved.
"We will extend the hand of friendship to all," Peseschkian said after his election win. "Let us all work towards the rise of the country." Political rivals were also referred to as brothers. Jalili made no comment on the election outcome.
Approximately 61 million people were called upon to decide between Peseschkian and Jalili in the second round of voting on Friday. The Interior Ministry extended the voting deadline several times into the late evening hours. In the end, approximately 16.4 million eligible voters chose Peseschkian, while approximately 13.5 million voted for Jalili.
As in the parliamentary election earlier this year, the weeks leading up to the vote were marked by striking apathy. In the first round, this was reflected in a historically low voter turnout of around 40 percent. In the second round, the turnout reached 49.8 percent.
The surprise election followed the death of incumbent President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May. His nearly three-year tenure was marked by significant political repression, protest waves, and a deteriorating economic situation.
Reform candidate seeks to regain people's trust in Iran
Peseschkian hails from the northwest of the country. During the First Gulf War against neighboring Iraq, he pursued a medical degree and served at the front. After the war, he continued his medical career and rose to prominence as a heart surgeon in the metropolis of Tabriz.
In his campaign, the rather unassuming politician advocated for a new relationship between the government and the people, as most Iranians are deeply disillusioned with politics due to failed reform attempts. Like many other reformist politicians, Peseschkian called for improved relations with the West to open up the economy and revive it.
The widower, who lost his wife and one of his sons in a traffic accident in the early 90s, appeared at his campaign events with his daughter and grandchild. With his efforts to foster neighborliness and the campaign slogan "for Iran," Peseschkian aimed to clearly demonstrate that he was fighting for the people.
It remains to be seen whether he will keep this promise and how he will do so. Peseschkian reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to Religious Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds the final say in all strategic matters and is the most powerful figure in the Islamic Republic.
During Mohammad Khatami's second presidency (2001-2005), Peseschkian gathered government experience as the Health Minister. Despite his moderate rhetoric, he supported the powerful Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force, and praised the latest drone and rocket attack on the arch-enemy Israel in April. In TV debates, he identified himself as a conservative politician, but believed reforms were necessary.
Economic Crisis at the Forefront of Election Campaigns
Iran's political system combines republican and theocratic elements since the 1979 Revolution. Free elections do not exist: The so-called Guardian Council, a powerful Islamic oversight body, vets candidates. This time, it allowed only six out of 80 presidential candidates to run. Two of them withdrew before the first round of voting.
Unlike in many other countries, the President in Iran is not the head of state. The actual power is concentrated on the Religious Leader, since 1989, Khamenei. The Revolutionary Guards have also expanded their political and economic influence in the past decades.
The candidates debated primarily about ways to alleviate the grave economic crisis in the country. Due to its controversial nuclear program, Iran is subjected to international sanctions and largely cut off from the global financial system. The country needs investments in the billions. In addition to economic issues, the candidates discussed domestic policy, cultural politics, and dealing with the West.
Disillusioned Voters Have Lost Faith in Political Changes
Most Iranians, especially young people, have lost faith in significant domestic political changes. It is often said resignantly that reforms of the political system are not possible. Some activists, like the imprisoned Peace Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, had called for a boycott of the presidential election beforehand.
The death of the young Kurdish woman Jina Masa Amini in the fall of 2022 sparked nationwide protests against the Islamic ruling system. Large street demonstrations have not occurred since, likely due to fear of violent repression. Disappointment is widespread. Many educated Iranian women and men with good degrees want to leave the country.
- Amidst the uncertainty of a significant policy change under the new moderate president, Massud Peseschkian, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran, reaffirmed his loyalty.
- Criticizing the failed reform attempts and deep-rooted disillusionment with politics, Peseschkian, during his election campaign, advocated for a new relationship between the government and the people.
- The Interior Ministry, responsible for organizing parliamentary elections, had to extend the voting deadline multiple times during the highly anticipated second round of voting due to striking apathy among the voters.
- Despite the moderate rhetoric and support for reforms, Peseschkian, as a former health minister and a heart surgeon, expressed his loyalty to the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force, and praised their recent attacks against Israel.
- A possible policy change in Iran may be influenced by the powerful interest groups, such as the Revolutionary Guards, given their substantial political and economic influence in the country.
- Following the election victory of moderator Peseschkian, hardliner Said Jalili declined to comment on his defeat in the presidential election, highlighting the intricate political landscape in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
