Iran election is over with no majority winner so far, millions boycott

The 14th Iranian presidential election is over with no majority winner yet, while millions at boycott. It is over predicting the second and a final round between hardliner Saeed Jalili and the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian. If happens then it will be conducted on Friday. As per the reports, Jalili secured nearly 42 percent of the votes, and his counterpart Pezeshkian stands at 40 percent. Official results are expected today.
The media reported that the result of the election was so far surprising as Pezeshkian, who had been ahead in earlier results, is now trailing at just over 40%. The earlier results showed that out of 14,070,462 ballots counted so far, Pezeshkian was leading with 5,955,781 votes. Jalili followed him with 5,560,321 votes, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf with 1,891,385, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi with 111,967 votes. There have been 549,008 invalid votes. The total number of polling stations was 58,640, with 32,244 stations counted so far, and 375 counties have been checked. Earlier the results showed Pezeshkian had 42.6 percent of the votes, while Jalili had 38.8 percent of the ballots. Almost 40 percent of eligible voters, around 24 million have cast their ballots in Iran’s snap presidential election.
There are nearly 61.5 million registered voters of which approximately 18 million are between 18 to 30 years of age. The reported 40 percent turnout was lower even than the parliamentary elections conducted three months earlier and the turnout was 41 percent. in 2021 it was nearly 48 percent. the constantly decreasing turnout reveals to what extent the people in Iran are satisfied with their system.
The voting started at 8:00 am and followed by three extensions that were closed at about 10 am local time. The Iranian law requires that a winner needs more than 50% of all votes cast. If it doesn’t happen, the race’s top two candidates advance for a second runoff a week later. There’s been only one runoff presidential election in Iran’s history, in 2005 after hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defeated Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. In this election, the Guardian Council approved six contenders from an initial pool of 80.
Two contenders dropped out while four were in the run. Two hardliners – Saeed Jalili and Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf failed in reaching a pre-poll agreement that in fact benefited Pezeshkian in this election. Jalili believes Iran can survive Western sanctions by building economic ties with the East. He advocates hijab (Vail) for Iranian women. There are reports that the current Iranian regime weakened Pezeshkian.
The supreme leader – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – in his state television speech said “Certain Iranian politicians believe all paths to progress pass through the United States.” He pointed to Pezeshkian who calls to end Iran’s economic isolation from the West. Pezeshkian and the supreme leader both wished nearly 60% turnout for personal gains. Pezeshkian wished to avoid defeat and the supreme leader to justify the legality of elections and the honor of the Islamic republic. Several Iranians disappointed by the government system and restrictions preferred to stay away rather than allow the process to face legitimacy. There were calls for not to vote in this election. Students, labor, and civil organizations, political and civil activists, political prisoners, and families of protesters killed during Tehran’s crackdown on opponents called it a “sham election.” Those boycotting the denied giving legitimacy to this election. They believed it was neither fair nor free. Critics of Iran’s clerical rule say the low and declining turnout shows the system’s legitimacy has crumbled. There have been calls for a boycott including from imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of the leaders of the 2009 Green Movement protests who was under house arrest also with his family refused to vote in this election.
Sixty-seven women political prisoners imprisoned in the women’s ward of Evin prison refused to vote as well. According to the reports prison officials tried their best to pressure several female political prisoners to participate in the elections. All political prisoners held in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj also refused to vote.
Prince Reza Pahlavi on Friday praised Iranians both inside and outside the country for rejecting what he termed the “Election Circus” of the Islamic Republic. “The evidence from empty polling stations across the country demonstrates the Iranian nation’s decisive rejection of the regime’s Election Circus,” he remarked. “This widespread boycott, which even supporters and affiliates of the Islamic Republic have admitted to, demonstrates your resolute determination to move beyond this illegitimate and anti-Iranian regime,” he added.
“The widespread boycott and lack of participation in the Islamic Republic’s farcical and fraudulent elections… sends a clear message to both the rulers and the world: the Islamic Republic does not represent Iran and its people,” said Iranian activist and ex-political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi. “This non-participation in the election charade is a resounding “no” to the entirety of the “Islamic Republic” government, which has occupied Iran for decades and kept its people in captivity,” he said.
On the polling day (Friday) two security force members reportedly were killed after unidentified gunmen attacked a vehicle carrying ballot boxes in Sistan province. Widespread internet disruptions were also reported. Cloudflare radar images showed that the total network traffic volume significantly dropped during certain hours on Friday, coinciding with the end of voting and the start of ballot counting in the country.
Iran’s Interior Ministry said according to the country’s Constitution, voting time cannot be extended beyond midnight. 10 pm was the final deadline while it was extended until 2:00 AM in the 2021 presidential elections. The Interior Ministry’s decision has reportedly outraged the ‘pro-reform’ Masoud Pezeshkian’s campaign, which believes further extension of voting could add more votes his ballot boxes.
There were also reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has been rigging the polls and manipulating the political landscape through a clandestine network of cultural and political operations. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) – an NGO – revealed this through its 34-page long report on Friday titled “Engineering Minds and Votes.” Dozens of the online videos contained messages saying “No Vote.” Human rights groups in Iran reported that prisoners in Saqqez in western Iran, were compelled to participate under threat of penalties. The Kurdish human rights organization – Kordpa -, shared images of the messages sent to prisoners asking them to vote. Meanwhile, videos circulating on social media showed groups of Iranian expatriates in Australia and New Zealand holding protest rallies outside Tehran’s embassies in Canberra, Sydney, Wellington, and London chanting against the elections. Nafiseh Azad, a sociologist and women’s rights activist say: “Women have historically supported those candidates who they believed could bring about change. However, the candidates have not been committed to their promises and have always sidelined women’s issues in political debates. Therefore, it is not surprising that women feel more disillusioned with the electoral process.” however, Siamak Rahpeyk – deputy head of the Guardian Council’s executive and election affairs – said, “According to the statistics, the number of voters was good.”
(Rana Kashif has authored this article)