towards a second round between a reformer and an ultraconservative

The final results are not yet known, but Iran is heading towards a possible second round the day after the presidential election. Reformist candidates Massoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili came in first on Saturday, June 29, according to partial results published in the morning by the Ministry of the Interior. If this trend were to continue and no candidate obtained more than half of the votes, both candidates would qualify for a second round, which will be held on July 5.

Out of 14 presidential elections held since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, only one has so far been decided in the second round, in 2005.

Whatever the outcome, the election is expected to have limited repercussions. Indeed, in Iran, the president has restricted powers: he is responsible for applying, at the head of the government, the main political guidelines set by the supreme guide, who is the head of state.

The election was hastily organized after conservative President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19. It is being closely watched abroad as Middle Eastern heavyweight Iran is at the heart of several geopolitical crises, from the war in Gaza to the nuclear issue, in which it opposes Western countries.

As of Saturday morning, authorities have not yet released any figures on turnout. The Islamic Republic’s highest authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had called on voters on Friday to “take voting seriously and participate in it”. But in this country of 85 million inhabitants, 60% of whom are under 30 years old, many young people are disillusioned: the repression against the compulsory wearing of the veil, daily censorship and the absence of professional prospects have undermined their illusions. of many of them.

Thus, many opponents, particularly those from the diaspora, have called for a boycott of the vote.