The victory of reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian in Iran’s presidential runoff signals a shift from the government of Ebrahim Raisi, a conservative Shiite Muslim cleric who was the preceding president and tragically killed in a helicopter crash in May.
Mr. Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old cardiac surgeon who previously served as a lawmaker in reformist governments and as a health minister, emerged victorious by defeating the hard-line conservative candidate Saeed Jalili in Friday’s runoff, as officially announced by the government on Saturday.
Key Takeaways from the Election
- A Stark Choice Spurred Higher Voter Turnout
The stark political choice presented in the runoff led to a significant increase in voter turnout as compared to the first round. Many Iranians who had boycotted the initial elections decided to participate in the runoff, resulting in a nearly 10 percentage point increase in turnout to 49.8%. Mr. Pezeshkian’s campaign slogan, “save Iran,” resonated with those seeking change within the country’s constrained political and social landscape. - Government-Led Public Campaign
The Iranian government initiated a public campaign to encourage voter participation in the election. Despite the ultimate authority resting with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, elections serve as a mechanism to provide a semblance of legitimacy to the authoritarian theocracy in Iran.
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 | A polling station in Tehran on Friday. (Image Credit: Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times) |
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