TEHRAN, July 5, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Iranians voted on Friday in a presidential
runoff election where the choice is between a reformist advocating improved
ties with the West and an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator.

The election, called early after the death of ultraconservative president
Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, follows a first round marked by a
historically low voter turnout last week.

In a contest between reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed
Jalili, the election comes amid heightened regional tensions over the Gaza
war, Iran's nuclear standoff with the West and widespread economic discontent
exacerbated by sanctions.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all state
matters in the Islamic republic, cast his ballot when polling opened in the
morning.

"I heard that the enthusiasm and interest of the people is more than before,
praise to God that it will be like this, and if it is like this, it will be
gratifying," he said.

State television showed voters queing outside polling stations in Saveh in
central Iran and Kerman in the south, while AFP correspondents said voting
venues appeared less busy in Tehran.

In last week's first round, Pezeshkian, who was the only reformist permitted
to stand, won the largest number of votes, around 42 percent, while Jalili
came second with 39 percent, according to figures from Iran's elections
authority.

Only 40 percent of Iran's 61 million eligible voters took part -- the lowest
turnout in any presidential election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Khamenei called for a higher turnout in the runoff, emphasising the
importance of the election.

He said the first round's participation rate was lower than expected, but
added that it was not an act "against the system".

- Low turnout -

Khamenei called for a higher turnout in the runoff, emphasising the
importance of the election.

He said the first round's participation rate was lower than expected, but
added that it was not an act "against the system".

The election was originally scheduled for 2025 but was brought forward by
Raisi's death in a helicopter crash in May.

Pezeshkian and Jalili have held two televised debates during which they
discussed the low turnout, as well as Iran's economic woes, international
relations and internet restrictions.

At a Tehran polling station, 40-year-old Hossein said he voted for Pezeshkian
who he believes "can make changes."

"During his campaign, it seemed to me that he raises the crucial issues with
honesty," said Hossein, who gave only his first name.

Melika Moghtadaie, a 19-year-old university student who was wearing a black
chador, said her preference was Jalili.

"I hope that Jalili, if he gets elected, will be able to help improve the
country's economy... as we expect," she said.

The candidacy of Pezeshkian, a relative unknown until recently, has revived
cautious hopes for Iran's reformist wing after years of dominance by the
conservative and ultraconservative camps.

Jalili, noted for his uncompromising anti-West position, rallied a
substantial base of hardline supporters and received backing from other
ultraconservative candidates.

While campaigning, the 58-year-old criticised moderates for having signed the
2015 deal which promised Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its
nuclear programme.

Jalili said the accord, which the United States withdrew from in 2018 under
then-president Donald Trump, "did not benefit Iran at all".

Pezeshkian has called for efforts to salvage the nuclear agreement and lift
crippling economic sanctions.

The 69-year-old heart surgeon has advocated for "constructive relations" with
Washington and European countries in order to "get Iran out of its
isolation".

- 'Fed up' -

Pezeshkian voted at a school west of Tehran where he was accompanied by
former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who helped clinch the 2015
nuclear deal.

A member of parliament representing the northwestern city of Tabriz since
2008, he has earned the support of Iran's reformists, with former presidents
Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani backing his bid.

Casting his ballot on Friday, Khatami urged Iranians to vote "for the future
and good of the country".

During one of their debates, the two rivals voiced dismay over turnout in the
first round.

Pezeshkian said people were "fed up with their living conditions... and
dissatisfied with the government's management of affairs."

Jalili has held several senior positions in the Islamic republic, including
in Khamenei's office in the early 2000s.

He is currently one of Khamenei's representatives in the Supreme National
Security Council, Iran's highest security body.

Jalili voted in the second round at a mosque in the city of Qarchak south of
the capital Tehran.

Regardless of the result, Iran's next president will be in charge of applying
state policy outlined by the supreme leader, who wields ultimate authority in
the country.