Iranians will vote in a snap presidential election on Friday to choose a successor to Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, a contest set to be dominated by security hardliners who share his uncompromising anti-Western views.
Iran rebukes G7 statement over its nuclear programme escalation
The president runs the country day-to-day, but real power on issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme and its foreign policy remain in the hands of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who analysts say seeks a fiercely loyal president he can trust.
Following are details of the voting process:
Five hardliners and one low-key moderate were cleared to run for president by Iran’s hardline constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, out of 80 who registered to enter the contest.
The Council, which screens candidates for their political and Islamic qualifications, is a 12-strong panel of clerics appointed by the Supreme Leader and Islamic jurists nominated by the judiciary chief and approved by parliament.
To qualify as a candidate, presidential hopefuls must be of Iranian origin and an Iranian citizen, be considered a distinguished political or religious figure and have an unblemished record of piety and fidelity to the Islamic Republic.
The Guardian Council bars women from standing for president, although some top clerics and human rights lawyers argue that the constitution does not exclude them.
All Iranians aged over 18 can vote, which means that over 61 million of Iran’s more than 85 million people are eligible to cast a ballot.
All votes will be counted manually so the final result may not be announced for two days, although partial results may appear sooner.
If no candidate wins at least 50 percent plus one vote of all ballots cast, including blank votes, a run-off round between the top two candidates is held on the first Friday after the election result is declared.