Iran votes in key presidential polls
TEHRAN: Iran President Hassan Rouhani staked his political future on opening Iran ever so slightly to the outside world and overcoming hard-liners’ opposition to secure a historic nuclear deal in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions.
He’ll soon find out if voters think it’s enough.
Political analysts and the scant polling data that’s available suggest Rouhani will come out on top among the four candidates left running, though an outright win is by no means assured. Failure to secure a majority Friday would send the two top vote-getters into a runoff a week later.
Working against Rouhani is a sense among many Iranians that the 2015 nuclear deal, which saw Iran accept limits on its atomic energy programme, has failed to deliver an economic windfall.
Unemployment, meanwhile, remains stuck in the double digits, with nearly a third of Iranian youth out of work.
Rouhani’s stiffest challenge comes from Raisi, a law professor and former prosecutor who heads an influential religious charitable foundation with vast business holdings.
Mostafa Hashemitaba, a proreform figure , and Mostafa Mirsalim, a former culture minister, also remain in the race.
NO WOMEN CANDIDATES ALLOWED TO RUN
In Iran’s nearly four-decade history, no woman has been allowed to stand for the presidency. But it’s not for want of trying.
This year, 137 women put their names forward. But the electoral supervisory body, the Guardian Council, has disqualified every single nominee.
Though they are not allowed to stand, women comprise around half the electorate, so their vote is important and candidates usually make an effort to reach out to them.