Presidential election - Reformer Peseshkian ahead in Iran election
After a historically low voter turnout in Iran, moderate presidential candidate Massud Peseschkian and hardliner Said Jalili are heading for a runoff. Only about 40 percent of eligible voters participated in the election, Mohsen Eslami, spokesperson for the election commission, announced in Teheran on Saturday. Peseschkian reportedly received approximately 42.5 percent of the votes, while Jalili secured 38.7 percent. Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Islamic cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi have both dropped out of the race. The runoff is scheduled for the coming Friday.
Approximately 61 million voters were called upon to elect a new government leader on Friday. Polling stations remained open late into the night due to multiple extensions granted by the Interior Ministry. Of the 80 candidates, the so-called Guardian Council, a powerful Islamic oversight body, only approved six. Two of these candidates withdrew.
The election commission reported a total of over 24 million valid votes cast. With a voter turnout of historically poor 40 percent. The turnout during the previous presidential election in 2021 was around 49 percent. Most citizens of the country, particularly young people, have lost faith in significant domestic political changes. Some activists, student organizations, and the incarcerated Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi had called for a boycott prior to the election.
Reform candidate Peseschkian campaigned on civil positions
Peseschkian, 69, hails from the northwest of Iran. In his campaign, the previously unremarkable politician advocated for renewed trust between the government and the people, who are disillusioned with politics following failed reform attempts, political repression, and an economic crisis. Peseschkian was the only moderate candidate approved by the Guardian Council. Experts had debated the strength of his chances up until the last minute.
In the early 1990s, Peseschkian lost his wife and one of his sons in a traffic accident. The widower appeared at campaign events with his daughter and grandchild. Like many reformist politicians, he advocated for improved relations with the West.
During his campaign, the politician criticized the headscarf policy and campaigned with civil positions to win over votes. At the same time, he expressed his loyalty to religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the powerful Revolutionary Guards, and praised the drone and missile attack on Israel. In TV debates, he described himself as a conservative value-oriented politician who believes in necessary reforms.
Hardline candidate Jalili in second place
The second-place finisher Jalili was once part of the inner circle and worked in the office of religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Under the controversial former president Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Jalili served as chief negotiator in the nuclear talks. He enjoys broad support from radical and loyal system supporters.
The PhD politician is from the northeastern million-metropolis and pilgrimage city Mashhad in Iran. During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), the hardline man was injured at the front and lost part of his right leg. After the war, he taught in the capital Teheran before beginning a career in the Foreign Ministry. Djalili is known as an iron-willed supporter of the ideology of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Limited room for maneuver for a moderate government
A moderate president would have limited possibilities to shape the government, says Politic Scientist Tareq Sydiq from Marburg University. "With a parliament dominated by hardliners, with a Supreme Religious Leader who has repeatedly signaled that a too moderate policy is not actually desired - I would not expect a large room for action," explains the Iran expert. "This also influences the otherwise low enthusiasm for this election." After all: A moderate president would hardly be able to keep his election promises.
For years, enthusiasm for elections has been suppressed, says the expert further. He mainly mentions the devastating balance of the past governments, protests and their violent suppression, as well as political repression against headscarf violations. "All this rather suppresses the mood, both politically and socially," says Sydiq. The expectations of improvement in the political and economic situation through the election are likely to be low. The mood is rather characterized by "disappointment and hopelessness."
Famous Singer Speaks Up
In the election campaign, the candidates debated mainly about ways to alleviate the enormous economic crisis in the country. Iran is subject to international sanctions due to its controversial nuclear program and is largely cut off from the global financial system. The country needs investments in the billions. In addition, they discussed intra-political issues, cultural policy, and dealing with the West.
About 60 percent of eligible voters stayed away from the vote. Even the prominent singer Shervin Hajipour, who was awarded a Grammy for his protest song "Baraye," spoke out in social media. "Above all, we must hear the voices of those who did not go to the polls," he wrote. In March, the singer was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for his song, which was released during the uprisings in the fall of 2022, according to his own statements.
Many young people, who had taken to the streets, reject the positions of reform politicians like Peseschkian. Reforms of the political system are considered impossible, according to the common accusation of the demonstrators, who instead demand the overthrow of the Islamic Rule System. Iran's political system combines republican and theocratic traits since the Revolution of 1979. Free elections exist, however: The Guardian Council of the Watchers always checks the candidates' suitability.
- In the runoff election for Iran's presidential position, Massud Peseschkian and Said Jalili will face off, as their high vote counts in the initial election necessitated a second round.
- The Ministry of the Interior extended the polling hours for the elections in Tehran due to the high number of voters, despite the historically low voter turnout of around 40%.
- Iran's religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has expressed support for the hardline candidate Jalili, who served as a negotiator under controversial former president Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
- Reform candidate Peseschkian, who hails from the northwest of Iran, advocated for improved relationships between the government and people during his election campaign, focusing on trust and civil positions.
- The second-place finisher, Jalili, suffered an injury during the Iran-Iraq War and lost part of his leg, later becoming an iron-willed supporter of the ideology of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
- Peseschkian and Jalili will compete in the upcoming runoff election, with the winner taking over as the new president of Iran, as a moderate government may face challenges due to limited room for maneuver with a conservative parliament and religious leader.
