Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has cast his vote at the Jamaran Hosseiniyeh in Tehran amid ongoing uncertainty among reformists over whether or not to take part in Friday’s presidential election.
In the run-up to polling day, Khatami had given a speech calling on the people to vote – without naming a specific candidate.
He also cast a vote in the city council elections, but not for the Assembly of Experts. Asked by a reporter from Tasnim News Agency what he thought the outcome would be, he simply said: “I’m not a predictor.”
Media outlets close to the Iranian regime made much of this leading figure casting his vote. In the past broadcasting Khatami’s face has been banned.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, another former president of Iran, reiterated in a video on Friday that he would not be taking part.
Ahmadinejad, who registered but was not approved as a candidate again in 2021, said he considers the way elections are currently held in Iran to be against the national interest, and he did not want to play a role in this “sin”.
Videos and first-hand reports from polling stations indicate widespread citizen indifference to the election. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting quoted the Ministry of Interior as saying that just five million people – 8.5 percent of the electorate – had cast their votes by 1pm, six hours after the start of voting.
Related coverage:
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Iran’s LGBT Community Boycotts the Election
Khamenei's Last Pre-Election Address: Take Part in the Show, or We'll do it For You
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