Iranian return to polls to decide who will be next President after the late Raisi

By Ramadhan Abbey

Tehran

Today Friday July 5, 2024 Iranians across the Country returned to polls to decide who will be the next president after the death of late Ebrahim Raisi in the presidential run-off

The tight race is between the reformists Masoud Pezeshkian against ultraconservative, anti-Western former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili

The sudden elections comes after the death of late Ebrahim Raisi and seven others 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

L-R )reformists Masoud Pezeshkian against ultraconservative, anti-Western former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili

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

The polling stations opened to the voters at around 8:00 am and will end at 6 p.m. but is usually extended until as late as midnight. The final result will be announced on Saturday, although initial figures may come out sooner.

The run-off reflected in last month concluded election June 28, 2024, where top candidates Pezeshkian and Jalili failed to secure the majority votes which is 50% plus one in a recorded low turn in presidential elections since the country’s 1979 revolution.

Although the country has 61 million eligible Iranians voters only 40% voted last month.

***Iranian casting their votes to decide who will be the next president after the death Ebrahim Raisi .Courtesy Pictures***

Moderate Pezeshkian received more than 10.41 million votes from a total of more than 24.5 million ballots counted, followed by former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili with 9.47 million votes.

This is only the second time since the 1979 revolution that a presidential election has gone to a second round.

***Iranain Supreme leaders Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei wave to people before casting his vote .This was at Imam Khomeini Hussainiya polling station Tehran on July 5,2024 Curtesy Picture***

Other candidates like Conservative Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, polled 3.38 million votes, and conservative Islamic leader Mostafa Pourmohammadi, with 206,397 votes, were knocked out of the race

Two other candidates, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani and government official Amir-Hossein pulled out from the race