Earthquake Hits Northern Iran During Presidential Election
The presidential contest is being closely fought by incumbent Hassan Rouhani and Ebrahim Raisi.
- Iran is voting in it’s first presidential election after the Nuclear Deal was signed with the west
- The two main candidates in the Iran election are incumbent President Haasan Rouhani and Ebrahim Raisi
- Voting has taken place in embassies across the world
In a tensely fought Presidential Election, more than 20 million Iranian citizens casted their vote. Voters showed up in larger numbers than expected, as Iran held it’s first election after the a historic nuclear deal was signed with the West.
Both Hassan Rouhani and Ebrahim Raisi casted their votes, as did Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamene.
In the after noon, on Friday, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake rocked the Northern Iranian province of Bojnurd, injuring several people.
Earthquake Rocks Northern Iran During Polling
A 4.1 magnitude earthquake has struck a mountainous area of northern Iran as the country holds a presidential election.
It wasn't immediately clear if Friday's temblor, which struck near its border with Turkmenistan, had any effect on voting in the polling in that area. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
20 Mn of Iran's 56 Mn Eligible Voters Casted Their Ballots
About 20 million of Iran's 56 eligible voters have so far cast their ballot in the Islamic Republic's presidential election, the semi-official Fars news agency said on Friday, as President Hassan Rouhani faces off hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi.
"Around 20 million of eligible voters have been able to vote up to this minute," a source told AP.
Man in Thailand Attempted to Self-Immolate to Protest Elections
Thai police said an Iranian man set himself on fire Friday in front of the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok to protest his country's presidential election.
Pol Lt Col Noppadol Samart said the man was protesting Friday's presidential vote in Iran, though he did not know exactly what about the election the man was opposed to.
Domestic Voter Turnout Higher Than Expected
Over 10 million people have turned out to cast their vote in the elections, after fears of low voter turnout plagued the days before the election.
Long queues to vote on Friday, an early sign of strong turnout in an unexpectedly tight presidential election that could determine the future of the country's nascent emergence from international isolation.
Raisi, Rouhani Casted Their Votes
Both Ebrahim Raisi and Hassan Rouhani cast their votes in the afternoon.
Iranian Diaspora Comes Out in large Numbers to vote
Polling has begun across the globe, with polling initiated in Paris, London and New Zealand.
In France, long lines have formed outside the IRanian Embassy in Paris
Voting is also underway in London
Long queues have formed outside the Iranian embassy in Istanbul, Turkey, a nation that is home to nearly half a million people of irani descent
In Belgium however, protests have taken place outside the embassy in Brussels, with posters urging voters to boycott what they refer to as a ‘Sham election’
Rouhani's 'Unrealistic' Promises
Rouhani’s promises of increased jobs and cash handouts have been rejected by critics and deemed ‘unrealistic’. Voters apathy in Iran has stemmed from a lack of visible benefits, which Rouhani said would come after the nuclear deal.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior Iran analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, said Rouhani's warning to the Guards about electoral interference "could be aimed at forcing the establishment to back his second term".
Raisi a Possible Successor to Khamenei
Although Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is guarded about his political preferences, he has appeared to support Raisi both as a presidential candidate and possible successor.
But in an apparent reference to the 2009 disturbances, Khamenei, an unelected clerical hardliner who has the ultimate say in Iran, has previously warned he would confront anyone trying to interfere in the election.
A protégé of Khamenei, Raisi focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages, promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits for the poor.
Rouhani's Push for Reform
In his campaign strategy, Rouhani aimed to mobilise Iranian women and young people who became jaded about the vote after losing hope in his ability to ease religious repression in society as promised in 2013, when he won by a landslide.
Some 350,000 security forces were deployed around the country to protect the election, state television reported.
Voters start Queuing up Ahead of Presidential Polls
Iranians began voting on Friday in a closely-fought presidential contest between President Hassan Rouhani and hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi. The election is set to determine the pace of social and economic reform as well as Iran's re-engagement with the world.
State television showed long queues outside polling stations across several cities and said 56 million Iranians out of the more than 80 million population were eligible to vote.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
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