Iranians choose between hardliner and reformist in presidential election runoff

euronews (in English)

Iranians are headed to the polls Friday in a final round of voting to replace the late Presidentı Ebrahim  Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May.

Transcript

00:00Iranians are voting today in a runoff election to replace the late President Ibrahim Raisi

00:05killed in a helicopter crash last month.

00:08After years of economic struggle, mass protests and tensions, public apathy has become pervasive

00:13in the Islamic Republic.

00:15Voters face a choice between the hardline former nuclear negotiator Sayyid Jalili and

00:20Mesud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and long-time parliament member who has allied himself with

00:25moderates and reformists within Iran's Shiite theocracy.

00:30The initial round of voting on June 28 saw no candidate get over 50 percent of the vote,

00:35forcing the runoff.

00:36This was also the lowest turnout ever for an Iranian election.

00:40There have been calls for a boycott, including from imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate

00:45Narji Mohammadi.

00:47Iran's 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has the final say on all matters of state.

00:53This can bend the country's policies toward confrontation or negotiation with the West.

Category

Transcript

Recommended