Iran: Who is Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist elected president of the Middle Eastern country?

Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian was elected the new President of Iran, defeating his staunch conservative rival Saeed Jalili.

The announcement by Pezeshkian, 70, came after authorities reported that he had received 53.3% Over 30 million votes were counted in the second round of the presidential election.

For his part, Yalili obtained 44.3%,

After no candidate won a majority in the first poll on June 28, a second poll was held in which voter participation was recorded 40%, the lowest since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979,

The elections were called in the name of the former President of Iran. Ebrahim Raisidied in a helicopter crash in May, which also killed seven others.

As soon as the results became known, Pezeshkian thanked his supporters and asked all Iranians to support him in the difficult task ahead.

“The elections are over and this is just the beginning of our alliance,” he wrote on his X (former Twitter) account.

,Without your support, sympathy and trust the difficult path ahead of us will not be easy.. He said, “I extend my hand towards you and swear that I will not leave you alone.”

Videos posted on social media showed street celebrations for Pezeshkian in Tehran and several other cities across the country.

In the recording, mostly young people were dancing and waving the green flag that characterizes his campaign, while passing cars honked their horns.

Pezeshkian, cardiac surgeon and Member of Parliament, has criticized Iran’s controversial morality police and caused a stir by promising to end Iran’s “isolation” from the world.

The newly elected president called for “constructive negotiations” with Western powers on renewing the 2015 nuclear deal, in which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from Western sanctions.

However, Pezeshkian cannot be considered a dissenter; on the contrary, throughout his career he has made clear his attachment to the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; and his decisions.

“I am an ideologist (a person attached to the concepts supporting the Islamic Republic) and from those principles we seek reform”he announced during the campaign.

Pezeshkian is also not a new player in politics, having been a deputy five times.

During his time in Parliament he also generated controversy by advocating for drug decriminalisation.

“Until the government becomes a drug supplier, we will not be able to stop drug addiction”He justified it.

Other than this, He was the Minister of Health between 2001 and 2005 During the second government of Mohammad Khatami (1997–2005), who is considered the first reformist president of the Islamic Republic.

Khatami supported the candidacy of his former minister, as did that of dissident cleric Mehdi Karroubi, who in 2009 tried to become Iran’s president in the disputed elections held that year and who has been under house arrest since then, the Persian service reported. from the BBC.

Pezeshkian already tried to take over as head of state in 2013 and 2021.The first time he withdrew in support of another candidate and the second time He was disqualified by the Council of Guardians, a body composed of 12 clerics and jurists.

This was due to his support for the protests that broke out against the results of the disputed elections of 2009.

In addition to reducing tensions with the West and achieving Iran’s reintegration into the international arena, the president-elect has promised his compatriots that he will try to implement “structural reforms” that will help the country achieve success. Fairer and more balanced growth,

For his part, his rival, Saeed Jalili, supports its maintenance remain so and believes the winner’s proposals are part of a failed model.

The candidate was part of the Iranian nuclear negotiations team and enjoys strong support among most of the country’s religious communities.

Yalili is known for her staunch anti-western stance and his opposition to restoring the nuclear deal, which he claims crossed Iran’s “red lines”.

Counting shows more people voted this Friday than in the first round last week Voter turnout was the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution Amidst widespread discontent.

According to electoral officials, participation so far is 49%, nine points higher than the last election day.

Some of those who abstained in the first round were persuaded to vote for Pezeshkian this time Stop Yalili from becoming president,

They feared that with Jalili’s victory, Iran would head towards a Big confrontation with the WestSomething that will only bring new restrictions and more isolation.

To present themselves, both candidates went through a guided research process Guardian Council,

In that process, 74 other candidates dropped out of the race, including several women.

The council has been criticised by human rights groups for disqualifying candidates who are not sufficiently loyal to the regime.

After years of civil unrest, which culminated in anti-government protests that rocked the country in 2022 and 2023, many young and middle-class Iranians are deeply distrustful of the government. Establishment And he has previously refused to vote.

On Iranian social networks, Hashtags Persian “Traitor Minority” It went viral and some groups urged citizens not to vote for any candidate.

But Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected suggestions that the low turnout represented a rejection of the religious model in place since 1979.

“There are reasons (behind low voter turnout) and politicians and sociologists will examine them, but If anyone thinks that those who did not vote are against Establishmentyou are completely wrong“, he claimed.

In an unusual statement, Khamenei acknowledged that some Iranians do not accept the current status quo.

“We listen to them, we know what they say and it’s not like they’re hidden or not visible.”Ayatota said.

Local media in Iran encouraged people to vote.

Reformist newspaper will be punished “The future is linked to your votes,” he said. Hammihan He said: “Now it’s your turn.”

Newspaper HamshahriThe daily, run by the Tehran Municipality, published an article titled “100 reasons to vote”, while the newspaper run by state broadcaster Jam-e Jam said Iran was “waiting for the people”.

*With additional information from the BBC Persian Service

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