Iran's Election Headed to Runoff: Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian vs Hard-liner Saeed Jalili

After the lowest turnout of votes in the country’s history, Iran held a runoff election with reformist Pezeshkian and hard-liner Jalili. 

Iran will hold a runoff presidential election to replace late President Ebrahim Raisi, on July 5 as no candidate was able to secure a majority in the election held on 28 June. More than 60% of voters cast no ballot in the election.  

 

 

Why a Snap Election?  

This election follows the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on 19 May 2024. Eight other members, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, also died in the crash. A meanwhile the constitution of the Islamic Republic dictates that for the interim period, Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will hold the position.

Need of runoff election  

According to Iranian law, the winner should get more than 50% of all votes cast. If this is not done, then there will be a runoff election between the top two candidates one week later. Of the 24.5 million votes cast in Friday’s election, Pezeshkian got 10.4 million while Jalili received 9.4 million, election spokesperson Mohsen Eslami announced. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf got 3.3 million, while Shiite cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi had over 206,000 votes. 

 

The reason behind the low turnout of voters  

The overall turnout was 39.9% according to results, which is less than the 2021 turnout of 48.8%. It is a protest both the candidate and the system offered to the public. It shows the disenchantment of the public with the Government. Iran's economy is deteriorating day by day due to government policies and sanctions from the US. It has been isolated from the world with an inflation rate at its peak. 

There had been calls for a boycott of the election from imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of the leaders of the Green Movement protest also refused to vote. 

KNOW THE CONTENDERS: - 

MASSOUD PEZESHKIANI: An Iranian parliamentarian, and medical doctor by profession, he held the position of health minister during the reformist administration of President Mohammad Khatami from 2001 to 2005. He openly criticized the government for the custodial death of Mahsa Amini. 

 

SAEED JAILI: With a PhD in political science, he is a hardline diplomat, who lost his leg while fighting for the Guards in the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s. He is a follower of Iran’s “velayat-e faqih”, or rule by supreme jurisprudence.   

  

Our news media partner, Priya Dutt, crafted and curated this news.

 

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