World’s Eyes on Iran Elections: President Rouhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – President of Iran Hassan Rouhani called on all people to take part in the ongoing elections that have attracted global attention.
After casting his ballot in the 13th presidential election, the 6th City and Village Councils elections, the midterm elections for the 5th Assembly of Experts, and the midterm elections for the 11th Parliament on Friday, President Rouhani said Iran is among the few countries in the world whose election process attracts global attention.
The world’s eyes are on the ballot boxes and the queues of Iranian people in the elections, he added, calling on people to hearten the friends and disappoint the foes by taking part in the elections.
“Our people are well aware how significant the elections are for the fate of themselves and the Islamic Republic’s establishment,” Rouhani stated.
He also noted that the elections are being held without a single report of insecurity across the country, noting that the health protocols are also observed strictly to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Hailing the step-by-step process of electronic voting, the president expressed hope that all stages of elections in the country would be carried out electronically in the near future, which he said will contribute to more transparency.
Polling stations across Iran opened at 7 am local time and will continue to receive voters until midnight. The Interior Ministry says it may extend the election period until 2 am Saturday if necessary.
There are four candidates seeking presidency in the polls, including Mohsen Rezaee, Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi, Seyed Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi, and Abdolnasser Hemmati. Three other hopefuls, Alireza Zakani, Mohsen Mehralizadeh, and Saeed Jalili dropped out of the race on Wednesday and Thursday.
More than 59,310,000 eligible voters can take part in the ongoing elections, more than 1,392,000 of whom are allowed to vote for the first time.
Around 3.5 million Iranian expatriates are also eligible to vote in 133 diplomatic missions of the Islamic Republic in the foreign countries.
The City and Village Councils elections in the capitals of 24 provinces, except in Tehran, are being held with electronic ballot boxes.
Organizers have obviated the need for fingerprints on the ballot papers in the ongoing elections as part of preventive measures to avoid coronavirus in the country.
The health protocols are also observed in the process of elections by disinfecting the polling places and forcing the voters to comply with social distancing.