By Ramadhan Abbey
Tehran
Today June 28, 2024 hundreds of Iranian people gathered in different polling stations across the Country to decide who will be the next president after the death of the late President Ebrahim Raisi
Raisi and seven others died after helicopter they were travelling in had a “rough landing” in heavy fog in Dizmar forest, located near Jolfa, the Iranian City on the Borders of Azerbaijan Nakhchivan, around 600 kilometers (375 miles) Northwest of the Iranian Capital Tehran
Raisi 63 was on the state visit with the Azerbaijani president to discuss an infrastructure project over the Aras River, which separates Iran and Nakhchivan
In Tehran the Polls opened at 8:00 am Iranian time on Friday morning and are scheduled to close at 6:00pm, but the time can be extended until midnight, according to election officials.
While addressing the state media Ahmad Vahidi, the Interior Minister said nearly 60,000 voting stations and 90,000 “voting points” have been set up across Iran and more than 300 voting stations outside the country to accommodate the diaspora.
“So far more than 61 million people are eligible to vote inside and outside the country” said Vahidi, the Interior Ministry.
According to Vahidi, candidates must win with at least 50 percent plus one vote from all ballots cast, including blank votes, if not a run-off between the top two candidates is set after the election result is declared.
A hardline watchdog body made up of six scholars and six jurists aligned with Khamenei vets candidates. It approved just six from an initial pool of 80. Two contenders subsequently dropout and those include Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani and Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi
The Tight race is between Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, parliament speaker and former commander of the air force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator who served for four years in Khamenei’s office.
The sole comparative moderate, Masoud Pezeshkian, is faithful to Iran’s theocratic rule, but advocates detente with the West, economic reform, social liberalisation and political pluralism
Another is Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the former Minister of Interior Affairs and Justice Minister.
Supreme leader urges Iranian to come up in big number and vote
Speaking after casting his vote Khamenei called for a high turnout to offset a legitimacy crisis fuelled by public discontent over economic hardship and curbs on political and social freedom.
“The durability, strength, dignity and reputation of the Islamic republic depend on the presence of people,” Khamenei told state television after casting his vote. “High turnout is a definite necessity
Although next president is not expected to usher in any big policy change on the country’s nuclear program or support for militia groups across the Middle East, since Khamenei calls all the shots on top state matters.
However, the president runs the government day-to-day and can influence the tone of Iran’s foreign and domestic policy.
The sudden election coincides with escalating regional tensions due to the current war between Israel and Iranian ally Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as increased Western pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.
While the election is unlikely to bring a major shift in the Islamic republic’s policies, its outcome could influence the succession to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 85-year-old supreme leader, in power since 1989.
Who will replace late Ebrahim Raisi among the Presidential Candidates?
Who is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf?
The incumbent parliament speaker, who has held the post for over four years, has a strong chance of becoming Iran’s ninth president.
He became parliament speaker after parliamentary elections in 2020, which were marked by a wide disqualification of centrist and reformist candidates, and a turnout of just over 42 percent.
The 62-year-old is a former commander of the air force of Iran’s IRGC, was mayor of Tehran from 2005 to 2017, and the chief of police before that.
He ran for president unsuccessfully in 2005 and 2013. In 2017, when he withdrew in favour of Raisi.
With a Raisi victory all but assured in 2021, and with Ghalibaf already securing the top seat in parliament, he did not participate.
Who is Saeed Jalili?
Jalili is the direct representative of the supreme leader to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
He was appointed by Khamenei as the secretary of the council in 2007, a post he held until 2013, during which time he handled the Iranian nuclear file.
He was replaced as security chief after a period of heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme that led to international sanctions on the country.
The 58-year-old ran for president unsuccessfully against Hassan Rouhani in 2013, and in 2021 withdrew from a pool of seven candidates in favour of Raisi.
His longtime ally Ali Bagheri Kani , who has been Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator since 2021, is now acting foreign minister.
Jalili has remained in the SNSC, operating what he himself has proudly called a “shadow government”.
Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?
He is the only candidate who does not belong to the conservative or hardline factions and has been a member of parliament since 2008.
The five-time lawmaker, who represents Tabriz, was deputy parliament speaker from 2016 to 2020. A heart surgeon, he has also been a longtime member of the health commission of Iran’s parliament.
He was health minister in the early 2000s under former President Mohammad Khatami. He was disqualified from running in the 2021 presidential election by the Guardian Council.
Mostafa Pourmohammadi?
Born in December 1959 in the Iranian city of Qom, the 64-year-old Pourmohammadi served in different positions and cabinet posts.
He served as the Minister of Interior Affairs (2005-2008) and as the Justice Minister (2013-2017) in two different administrations.
He also served in other posts including the prosecutor of the revolutionary courts in the provinces of Khuzestan, Hormozgan, and Khorasan, and the prosecutor of the armed forces revolutionary courts in western Iran.
In 2003, he was appointed by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as the head of the political and social department of his office.
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