Friday, June 24, 2005
Iranians are voting in Iran’s first follow up run-off presidential election today as no candidate received more than 50% in last weeks election. The polls opened at 0430 UTC.
The choice is between conservative candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (now mayor of Tehran) who has promised the poor a greater share of Iran’s oil revenues and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who was considered a conservative candidate in the past but now portrays himself as a reform candidate. Rafsanjani has committed himself to keeping the reforms started by outgoing President Mohammad Khatami.
Iran has a very young population and it is reported the country is divided between a more open westernized society and a return (continuation) of an Islamic society.
Regardless of which candidate wins, final outcomes are still controlled by Iran’s unelected Clerical Ruling Council.