Rouhani Wins Iran’s Presidential Election

TEHRAN – The Iranian nation elected Hassan Rouhani as the Islamic Republic’s president for the next 4 years,according to FNA.

Iran’s Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar announced Saturday evening that from a total number of 36,704,156 ballots cast in Iran’s 11th presidential election on Friday June 14, Rouhani won 18,613,329 votes, while his main rival Mohammad Qalibaf could secure only 6,077,292 votes.

Hassan Rouhani, born on November 12, 1948, is an Iranian politician and Shiite Mujtahid.

He has been a member of the Assembly of Experts since 1999, member of the Expediency Council since 1991, member of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) since 1989, and head of the Center for Strategic Research since 1992.

Rouhani has been also vice-speaker of the 4th and 5th terms of the Iranian Parliament and secretary of the SNSC from 1989 to 2005.

Rouhani was the country’s top negotiator with the world powers on Iran’s nuclear program for 16 years.

Iran’s chief negotiator and Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Saeed Jalili stood 3rd with 4,168,946 votes.

Former Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander and current Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezayee Mir-Qaed secured 3,884,412 votes and ranked 4th in the race for the Islamic Republic’s top executive post.

Iran’s former Foreign Minister and Supreme Leader’s senior Advisor for International Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati gained 2,268,753 votes and former Iranian Oil and Telecommunications Minister Seyed Mohammad Qarazi came last with 446,015 ballots cast in his favor.

The Interior Ministry’s election headquarters said turnout among the electorate was 72.7 percent.

It also said spoilt votes stood at 1,245,409.

A number of 50, 483,192 people were eligible to vote in the elections. 1.6 million youths came to be eligible to vote for the first time in their lives as the voting age in Iran is above 18 according to the law.

The 11th presidential and the 4th city and village councils elections were held at some 58,764 polling stations in Iran and 96 other world countries on Friday.

Campaigning for the June 14 presidential election kicked off in Iran on May 22 after the Guardian Council released the list of 8 qualified candidates, although only 6 remained for the race.

The qualified candidates represented a wide range of political streams from Pricelists to reformists.

M.D