Supreme Leader Casts Vote

TEHRAN – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei cast his ballots in the 11th Presidential and 4th City and Village Councils elections minutes ago.

Polling started across the country at 08:00 hours Tehran’s time (0330 GMT) Friday for both the Presidential and the City & Village Councils elections concurrently.

Voting will last 10 hours and ends at 6 pm, but it could be extended if necessary. Ballot counting will start at 24:00 Friday and final results will be announced in the following 24 hours.

Presidential campaign kicked off on May 22 after the Guardian Council released the list of 8 qualified candidates – although 6 have remained now – and ended at 8:00 on Thursday.

The qualified candidates represent a wide range of political streams from Principlists to reformers.

There are now 6 candidates left in the race after two of them quitted. They include Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former Iranian Foreign Minister and Supreme Leader’s top advisor for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati, Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary and chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, former SNSC Secretary and chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rouhani, former Oil and Telecommunication Minister Seyed Mohammad Qarazi, and former Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezayee.

According to presidential election laws, all Iranian nationals above 18 years of age are eligible to vote.

M.D