Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday (3) that voter turnout in the first round of the country’s presidential election was “lower than expected”, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Turnout was around 40 percent, according to Iran’s Interior Ministry — the lowest since the 1979 revolution.
“We hope that people’s turnout for the second round will be significant and a source of pride for the Islamic Republic,” Khamenei said, urging Iranians to vote next Friday (5).
Friday’s vote will be a tight race between lawmaker Massoud Pezeshkian, the only moderate in the original field of four candidates, and former Revolutionary Guard member Saeed Jalili.
The election is to elect a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.
Khamenei added that the lower-than-expected turnout was due to “several factors” and that claims that non-voters were against the Islamic Republic were “strongly mistaken.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
