TEHRAN: Iranians are expected to turn out to vote on Friday in anticipation of a presidential election that will hopefully address the country’s economic problems among the volatile times it is now experiencing.
The late president Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash this month prompted the early scheduling of a presidential election, which was originally scheduled for 2025.
The early election coincides with a difficult period for Iran, as it struggles to deal with the economic fallout from international sanctions and increased tensions in the region over Israel and Hamas’ Gaza War.
Reformist Massoud Pezeshkian, conservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, and conservative parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are the front-runners for Iran’s second highest position
The others are Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a priest, conservative Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani, and the director of the Martyrs’ Foundation, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi, who is now serving as vice president.
The six have conducted relatively low-key campaigns, including debates on television in which they pledged to address economic issues and presented differing opinions on Iran’s ties with the West.
Pezeshkian has received support from reformist leaders including as former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and president Mohammad Khatami.
A 35-year-old tax specialist named Alireza Valadkhani told AFP he will support Ghalibaf because he “is the only one who can help Iran in its current situation”.
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