Iran election: reformist Pezeshkian, hardliner Jalili head for presidential run-off
- The vote to replace Ebrahim Raisi after his death in a helicopter crash came down to a tight race with turnout at a historic low
A moderate lawmaker will face Iran supreme leader’s protégé in a run-off presidential election on July 5 after the country’s interior ministry said on Saturday that no candidate secured enough votes in the first round of voting.
The interior ministry said neither secured the 50 per cent plus one vote of over 25 million ballots cast required to win outright, with Pezeshkian leading with over 10 million votes ahead of Jalili with over 9.4 million votes.
Power in Iran ultimately lies with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, so the result will not herald any major policy shift on Iran’s nuclear programme or its support for militia groups across the Middle East.
But the president runs the government day-to-day and can influence the tone of Iran’s policy.
The clerical establishment hoped for a high turnout as it faces a legitimacy crisis fuelled by public discontent over economic hardship and curbs on political and social freedom. However, turnout in Friday’s vote hit a historic low of about 40 per cent, based on interior ministry count released on Saturday.