Iran’s Environment TV reported that election authorities had extended voting for two additional hours until 10 p.m. (18:30 GMT) local time. The government said the extension was made “following the presence of people at polling stations”. A gradual expansion is expected till almost night.
The midterm elections coincide with rising regional tensions between Israel and Iranian best friends Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran’s first direct attack against Israel in April, as well as greater Western muscle on Iran over its nuclear program.
While the election is not expected to bring any major changes to the Islamic Republic’s policies, its outcome could affect the succession of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 85-year-old Grand Leader, in power since 1989.
A council composed of 6 students and 6 jurists aligned with Khamenei vetoed applicants. It licensed only six of the initial pond of 80. Therefore two contenders were out.
Some well-known among the remaining hardliners are parliament speaker and former commander of the Islamic Progressive Reserve Corps (IRGC) Breeze Force, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, who served in Khamenei’s office for four years.
The only real comparative centrist, Massoud Pezeshkian, remains committed to Iran’s theocratic rule, although advocating decoupling with the West, fiscal reform, social liberalization, and political pluralism.
voting is important
Many Iranians did not vote last Friday because it was a weekend in the country and because of the inclement weather. Reportedly in the last elections many voters had cast their votes during night time.
Voter turnout has declined over the past four years, mostly as young people grapple with political and social barriers.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodar said voter turnout is crucial to the final outcome as higher turnout would give greater hope to the sole reformist candidate.
“The fact that there is a divided vote among the Conservatives means that the possibility of a second round is real. Voting is also important for establishment.
Khamenei called for a major vote to compensate for the emergency caused by widespread discontent in society due to the financial crisis and curbs on political and social democracy.
“The stability, strength, dignity and prestige of the Islamic Republic depend on the presence of the people,” Khamenei told Environment TV after casting his vote. “High turnout is a definite necessity.”
Interior Minister Ahmed Wahidi said about 60,000 vote casting stations and 90,000 “voting points” had been set up across the country, with more than 300 vote casting stations overseas.
More than 61 million people inside and outside the country are eligible to vote.
joint feelings
As the votes are being cast, mixed emotions are being seen on the streets of Tehran.
“Elections can be useful for people, especially those who are looking for help or want to guarantee their future,” Maria Jafari told Al Jazeera.
Aamir, another voter, said, “I don’t have any big expectations from these elections because in the hierarchy of government here, the President is not the key decision maker.”
The guide count of ballots means general results are expected to be announced in just two days, although preliminary figures will likely emerge faster.
If the rejected candidate wins at least 50 percent of the total ballots cast and one vote, including deserted votes, a runoff between the two candidates must be held on the Friday before the election results are declared.
Three applicants are radicals and one is a low-profile comparative centrist, subsidized by the reformist faction that has until recently been largely sidelined in Iran.
It is not expected that the incoming president will make any major policy exchanges on the country’s nuclear program or backups for armed forces teams around the Middle East, as Khamenei remains the outspoken leader on all issues including environmental issues.
Alternatively, the President runs the federal government day-to-day and will influence foreign and domestic coverage of Iran.
All four applicants have promised to restore a financial system battered by mismanagement, environmental corruption and reimposed sanctions since 2018 after the US broke Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six international powers.
Within weeks, Iranians have made widespread use of the hashtag #ElectionCircus on Twitter, with some activists at home and abroad calling for an election boycott, saying a major vote would delegitimize the Islamic Republic.
Discover more from news2source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
