Presidential elections were held in Iran on 14 June 2013. Hassan Rouhani was elected in the first round with over 50% of the vote. Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf finished second with 17% of the vote.Hassan Rouhani wins Iran presidential election BBC News, 15 June 2013 Voter turnout was 73%.
The Guardian Council screened 680 registered candidates, approving eight to run in the election; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Ali Akbar Velayati, Saeed Jalili, Mohsen Rezaee, Mohammad Gharazi, Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Reza Aref. Haddad-Adel and Aref later withdrew from the race in the days leading up to the election. Incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was not able to run for re-election as he was limited to two terms or 8 years in office under the Iranian constitution.
Electoral system
The president of Iran is the country's highest directly elected official, the chief of the executive branch, and the second most important position after the supreme leader. Duties are similar to heads of governments in other countries, except that the armed forces, Chief judiciary system, state television, and other key governmental organizations are under the control of the supreme leader. It is also an informal custom that cabinet ministers for sensitive departments like foreign relations and intelligence are coordinated with the Supreme Leader.
The president is elected using the two-round system. To win in the first round, a candidate must receive more than 50% of all votes cast (both valid and invalid).
Any Iranian citizen born in Iran, believing in God and the official religion of Iran (Islam), who has always been loyal to the Constitution and is above 21 years of age may register as a presidential candidate. An institution called the Election Monitoring Agency (EMA) and managed by the Guardian Council vets registered candidates (in the 2009 election 36,000 people signed up as candidates) and selects a handful to run in the election. The Guardian Council does not announce publicly the reason for rejections of particular candidates although those reasons are explained to each candidate. Females who register as candidates have invariably been excluded from standing for election by the council.
Electoral law One of the issues that has been raised in the pre-election debate over electoral reforms, especially regarding enforcement, situations of candidates. Executive of elections under previous law was ministry of interior (Government) and there were statements about changing of maintaining law. In addition, the law provided that the candidates must be political men and the meaning of men was not known. The changes began after the protests to the previous election. According to Iranian law, candidates more than 75 years old are eligible to run but their health issues must be checked by the Guardian Council.
The new act of the elections was approved by the parliament on 17 December 2012 and was signified by speaker of the parliament, Ali Larijani, to the president for official implementation. Some of the changes are explained:
Act Before After (changed) 18 / 31 Ministry of Interior must announce the results Ministry of Interior is the only official reference of the election. Electoral Commission will announce the results after the Ministry of Interior confirmation*. Ministry of Interior, under the Electoral Commission are the official references of the election. 64 Debates can be recorded. Debates must be live. If extortion about one candidate, he has the mandate to defend him/herself in next programs.
Timeline 7 May – The official registration of candidates began at the ministry of interior. 11 May – The time for registration was ended at 18:00 IRDT. 21 May – The final list of candidates was announced by the Minister of Interior, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar. A number of 8 candidates are eligible to participate in the election. 24 May – Official propagation campaigns for the final candidates began. 13 June – End of campaigns. 14 June – Election date. 15 June – Official results announced by Interior Ministry with Hassan Rouhani elected as the seventh President of Iran. 25 June – Guardian Council confirmed the election results. 1 August – President-elect met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 3 August – Inauguration of new president, replacing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Electoral Commission For the first time in the history of Iranian presidential elections, a commission of eleven persons (three legal, seven experts, and one from parliament) supervised the elections.
Candidates
Registration for candidates took place from 7 to 11 May 2013.Iran to hold presidential election on 14 June 2013, Ya Libnan, 15 December 2012 Registered candidates' qualifications were then reviewed by the Guardian Council. On 21 May 2013 eight candidates were approved for placement on the ballot. BBC News commented that all eight approved candidates were "considered hardline conservatives," with reformist candidates, notably former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, having been barred from standing."Rafsanjani and Mashaei barred from Iran presidency poll", BBC News, 21 May 2013 In contrast, Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper described attempts by former presidents Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami to unite behind one or the other of two "reformist candidates," Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Reza Aref.Iranian reformists struggle to settle on candidate Kristin Dailey, The Daily Star, 8 June 2013 Two of the eight, Aref and Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, withdrew from the race on 10 and 11 June.
Name Party Slogan Political background Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf Population For Progress and Justice Change, Life, PeopleA glorious Iran Ghalibaf has been Mayor of Tehran since 2005. During the Iran–Iraq War, he was chief commander of Iran's Imam Ridha troops in 1982 and of its Nasr Troops from 1983 to 1984. After the war he became managing director of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, an engineering firm controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and also commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, in 1996. In 2000, he became chief of the Iranian Police Forces. He was also a candidate in 2005 presidential election. Mohammad Gharazi Independent Government against Inflation Gharazi was Minister of Petroleum from 1981 to 1985 and Minister of Posts from 1985 to 1997. He was a member of the Iran's Parliament from 1980 to 1984 and governor of Khuzestan from 1979 to 1980. Saeed Jalili Front of Islamic Revolution Stability Hayat-e-Taiba Since 2007 Jalili has been Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and therefore Iran's chief nuclear negotiator. He was previously Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007. Mohsen RezaeeMohsen Rezayee to Run for Iran Presidency Again , Fars News Agency, 18 December 2012 Resistance Front of Islamic Iran Say hello to life Rezaee has been Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council since 1997. From 1981 to 1997 he was chief commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. He has run for the presidency twice, in 2005 and 2009. Hassan Rouhani Moderation and Development Party Government of Prudence and Hope Rouhani has been a member of the Assembly of Experts since 1999, head of the Center for Strategic Research since 1992, and a member of the Expediency Discernment Council since 1991. He has also served on the Supreme National Security Council since 1989; he was secretary of the council and therefore Iran's chief nuclear negotiator from 1989 to 2005. Rouhani was a member of Iran's parliament from 1980 to 2000, also serving as Deputy Speaker of the parliament from 1992 to 2000. Ali Akbar Velayati Front of Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader Complementarity Government Velayati was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1997 and Deputy Minister of Health from 1980 to 1981. He was a member of the Parliament from 1980 to 1981.
Withdrawn
During the electoral campaign The following two candidates registered for the election and their nominations were approved by the Guardian Council, but withdrew their candidacies during the electoral campaign. Mohammad Reza Aref, First Vice President (2001–2005) (endorsed Hassan Rouhani). Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Speaker of the Parliament (2004–2008) (endorsed Conservative candidates; Progression Alliance).
Name Party Slogan Political background Endorsed Mohammad-Reza Aref(campaign) Omid Iranian Foundation Livelihoods, decent and honest life with dignity and rationality Aref was First Vice President of Iran from 2001 to 2005 in the second term of Mohammad Khatami. Livelihoods, decent and honest life with dignity and rationality. He previously served as Minister Information and Communications Technology and head of Management and Planning Organization in Khatami's first cabinet.He is also an electrical engineer and a professor at University of Tehran and Sharif University of Technology. He withdrew his candidacy on 11 June in order to give the reformist camp a better chance to win. Hassan Rouhani Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel(campaign) Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution NoneHaddad-Adel, an Iranian parliamentarian who chaired it from 2004 to 2008 was one of Progression Alliance candidates. He was also president of Academy of Persian Language and Literature. He withdrew on 10 June in favor of a principlist candidate. Principlist candidates
Before the electoral campaign The following candidates registered for the election campaign but withdrew their candidacies before the electoral campaign.
Masoud Pezeshkian, Member of the Parliament (since 2008) (endorsed Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani) Javad Etaat, Member of the Parliament (2000–2004) (endorsed Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani) Ali Akbar Javanfekr, managing director of IRNA (2010–2013) (endorsed Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei) Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, First Vice President (2009–2013) (endorsed Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei) Ramin Mehmanparast, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2010–2013) (endorsed Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf) Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi Fard, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament (2010–2011) (endorsed Manouchehr Mottaki)
Sadeq Khalilian, Minister of Agricultural (2009–2013) (endorsed Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei) Mohammad Shariatmadari, Minister of Commerce (1997–2005) (endorsed Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani) Davoud Ahmadinejad, Head of Presidential Commission (2005–2008) (endorsed Ali Akbar Velayati) Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, Minister of Health (2005–2009) (endorsed Saeed Jalili) Sadeq Vaeez Zadeh, Head of National Elites Foundation (2006–2009) (endorsed Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf) Alireza Ali Ahmadi, Minister of Education (2006–2009) (endorsed Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf)
Rejected The following candidates registered for the election but their nominations were rejected by the Guardian Council. All thirty registered female candidates were promptly disqualified on constitutional grounds."Iran’s Disqualification of Female Presidential Candidates Condemned" , Uganda News, 30 May 2013
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Chief Staff of the President (2009–2012) Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005–2010)Presidential Race Begins in Iran , Al-Monitor, 11 December 2012 Ruhollah Ahmadzadeh, Head of Cultural Heritage Organization (2011–2012) Ali Fallahian, Minister of Intelligence (1989–1997) Parviz Kazemi, Minister of Welfare and Social Security (2005–2006) Abulhassan Navab, Chancellor of University of Religions and Denominations (since 1995) Alireza Zakani, Member of the Parliament (since 2004) Mohammad Saeedikia, Minister of Housing and Urban Development (2005–2009) Mohammed Bagher Kharrazi, Academic Ahmad Kashani, Member of the Parliament (1980–1988)
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, President (1989–1997) Tahmasb Mazaheri, Governor of Central Bank (2007–2008) Mostafa Kavakebian, Member of the Parliament (2004–2012) Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, Member of the Parliament (1988–1992) Akbar A'lami, Member of the Parliament (2000–2008)