Big turnout boosts Rohani chance
tehran — Millions of Iranians queued up to vote on Friday, showing strong turnout in a tight election pitting President Hasan Rohani, who wants to normalise ties with the West, against a hardline judge who says he has already gone too far.
Voting was extended by at least four hours to 10pm because many voters were still queued to cast their ballots, state television reported.
Rohani, 68, who swept into office four years ago promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faces an unexpectedly strong challenge from hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The election is important “for Iran’s future role in the region and the world”, Rohani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran’s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of economic sanctions, said after voting.
The initial signs of strong turnout could be good news for Rohani, whose backers have long said their biggest worry was apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.
Raisi has blamed Rohani for mismanaging the economy and has travelled to poor areas holding rallies, pledging more welfare benefits and jobs.
He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-today politics.
“I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people,” Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
In the last election, Rohani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger. But this time the outcome might be much closer, as other conservative
The enthusiastic participation of Iranians in the election reinforces our national power and security. Whoever wins the election, we should help him to fulfil this important and serious duty.
rivals have backed out and thrown their support behind Raisi.
The Guards and other hardliners hope that a win for Raisi, 56, will give them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardised by the lifting of sanctions and opening to foreign investment. During weeks of campaigning the two main candidates exchanged accusations of graft and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other’s accusations. Some 350,000 members of the security forces were deployed around the country to protect the election, state television reported.
For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country. Rohani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents.
“I voted for Rohani to prevent Raisi’s victory. I don’t want a hardliner to be my president,” said Ziba Ghomeyshi in Tehran. “I waited in the line for five hours to cast my vote.”
Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rohani supporters, disappointed with his failure to make broader changes during his first term.
But they are anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death.
Ballot counting was expected to start at midnight and final results are expected within 24 hours of polls closing, TV reported. The elections are also for city and village councils. —