Published on : Modified :
In Iran, polling stations have been welcoming Iranians since Friday morning, called upon to elect a successor to Hassan Rohani. Four candidates are vying for the head of the presidency, including three ultra-conservative. The few surveys available suggest an unprecedented abstention rate. Follow the situation live on our liveblog.
The Iranians began voting on Friday, June 18 at 7 a.m. (02:30 GMT), to elect their new president. Some 60 million people are called to go to the polls. But the latest opinion polls indicate participation at 41%, significantly less than in previous polls (73% in the 2017 presidential election).
In an attempt to minimize abstention, authorities extended the opening of polling stations until midnight (7:30 p.m. GMT) with a possible extension until 2 a.m. on Saturday.
- This year, the election is being held against the backdrop of a serious economic and social crisis in Iran, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, against a background of clear general discontent mixed with disenchantment among the population.
- The ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raïssi, head of the Judicial Authority and close to the Supreme Guide, is a favorite archival, for lack of competitors to his measure after the disqualification of his biggest political opponents by the Council of Guardians of the Constitution, the body in charge control of the election.
- Out of nearly 600 applications, only seven people were allowed to attend. Four candidates are still in the running, including a single reformer, after several last minute withdrawals.
- In the ranks of reformers, many political figures called for a boycott of the ballot, including Mir Hossein Moussavi, the leader of the green movement under house arrest alongside his wife since 2011. As well as several candidates disqualified by the Council of Guardians of the Constitution, including former conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Follow our liveblog :