High turnout as Iranians vote in vital polls

Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, casts his ballot at a polling station in Tehran on Friday. — AFP

Millions of Iranians voted in high-stake elections on Friday that could shift the balance of power within the hardline-controlled Islamic elite by ushering in a reformist comeback or help conservatives tighten their grip on power.

The contest is seen by some analysts as a make-or-break moment that could shape the future for the next generation, in a country where nearly 60 per cent of the 80 million population is under 30. Participation appeared enthusiastic and relaxed in the first polls since a nuclear deal last year led to a lifting of sanctions and deeper diplomatic engagement abroad.

Authorities extended voting by two hours to 8 pm (16:30 GMT), citing a rush of people wanting to cast their ballot. An hour before the original 6 pm expiry of voting, there were still long queues outside polling stations in the capital, and state television showed throngs of voters in Ahvaz and Shiraz. It was unclear how the turnout might shape the outcome.

“Whoever likes Iran and its dignity, greatness and glory should vote. Iran has enemies. They are eyeing us greedily,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said after casting his ballot, in a reference to Western powers. “Turnout in the elections should be so high to disappoint our enemies... People should be observant and vote with open eyes and should vote wisely.”

Control of Parliament will influence the ability of moderate President Hassan Rouhani, constrained so far, to deliver on his promises of greater freedoms and economic reforms — as well as his own chances of re-election next year. The Guardian Council, appointed half by Khamenei and half by the ultra-conservative judiciary, disqualified thousands of candidates for the legislature and vetoed 80 per cent of those seeking election to the Assembly of Experts.

They included Hassan Khomeini, the moderate grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and Khamenei’s predecessor.

Responses from voters at polling stations in Tehran suggested the electorate is polarised between conservatives who want to preserve the austere ideals of the Islamic revolution and its ruling system, and moderates or reformists who want a faster opening to the world in the wake of the nuclear deal.

Mohammed Reza, a 23-year-old electric engineer, said he was voting for the reformists because he wanted change. “I don’t need money, I don’t need a job, what I need is freedom. I need an Iran that is open to the world,” he said.

The Opposition website Kaleme said without elaborating that turnout was higher than in previous elections. While reformists saw a high turnout as an opportunity for change, conservatives said it showed widespread popular support for the Islamic Republic’s political system — and perhaps by extension the status quo. The interior ministry said on Wednesday that all Iranians would be able to vote in the elections.

But Opposition cleric Mehdi Karroubi, who had made his wish to vote known for the first time since being put under house arrest in 2011, was not able to cast his ballot by the end of regular voting hours, said his son.