After five consecutive extension of voting time, the Iranian Presidential election finally ended at 2 A.M. Preliminary results indicates a decisive victory by the conservative Ebrahim Raisi.
Against the expectations and mainstream media coverage, the presidential election in Iran has been welcomed by millions of Iranians across the country.
Concerns over the low turnout faded away after the midnight. Footages of Long lines in voting centers hours past midnight shocked the reporters. Around 60 million people were eligible to vote on Friday election.
Preliminary results indicated that more than %50 of eligible voters cast their ballot in 13th round of presidential election. Of the four remaining candidates, Ebrahim Raisi, currently the head of Judiciary, has the main chance to win the battle.
The election started at 7:00 o’clock and officially ended 19 hours later. Iranian leader, president, and many other political and partisan activists cast their ballots in early hours and invited the people to vote and choose their president.
Media campaigns insisted on low turnout in Iranian presidential election due to local economic dissatisfactions. Heavy sanctions by the United States, impacts of Covid-19 pandemic and the government’s weak administrative functioning were reasons behind the condition.
The fervent turnout at the polls, however, thwarted all the expectations. Leaders of opposition parties, including Mohammad Khatami, participated in the election. Khatami, as the frontrunner of reformist movement in Iran, invited all groups to take to the polls.
The Results
According to the preliminary results of Iranian presidential election, Ebrahim Raisi is the undisputed winner. Local officials formerly announced that the final results will be due at noon on Saturday (9.30 GMT).
Based on the preliminary results, more than 17 million people voted to Raisi. His main follower, Mohsen Rezaee, earned no more than 3 million votes. Hemmati, the opposition candidate, was favored by 2.4 million voters. Ghazizadeh, the last candidate, achieved the vote of 1 million people.
Raisi is a conservative politician and the current head of judiciary in Iran. He is a renowned character in Iranian politics. His followers celebrate his active role in fighting against corruption in Iranian administrative system.
With the announcement of the final result in the coming hours, the new president-elect will receive the transfer of power notice. About 45 days late, after the official inauguration, Raisi will the take office in Tehran.
Along with Presidential election, the people voted for local councils in cities and villages. The reports indicate that the conservatives have the majority in councils too. According to Iranian regulations, the councils choose the mayor of cities and villages. They also manage the city affairs and have political authorities too.
Air of Hope
President Rouhani leaves the office after 8 years. His years were inspired with high hopes and heavy despairs for Iranians. Striking the Nuclear deal with world powers opened the gates of the world for Iran in 2015.
Nevertheless, Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from JCPOA, the nuclear deal, finished the era of joy for Rouhani. With the advent of “maximum pressure” and outbreak of covid-19, the economic condition deteriorated in Iran.
The new presidential election in Iran injected the new air of hope in to Iranian society. The followers of Ebrahim Raisi believe that the great part of local instability was due to the government’s incompetency and inadvertence.
They are also hopeful about the result of the current round of negotiations with world powers to revive nuclear deal. Such a move could pave the way for the new government to proceed with its economic plans,
Hope defeated despair in Iranian society and thwarted the expectations of foreign actors. Iranians took to the polls believing in the feasibility of a change to the benefit of the country.
