Campaigning for Iran’s presidential run-off begins

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Campaigning for Iran’s run-off presidential election on July 5 has begun with two candidates set to take part in televised debates on Monday and Tuesday.

Former Health Minister Masoud Pezeshkian and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili will face off in the second round after securing the most votes among four candidates in the first round.

Pezeshkian, a reformist contender, garnered 10.4 million votes in the first round while Jalili, a conservative candidate, ended up in the second place with 9.4 million votes.

The two candidates were set to launch their campaign on Sunday with field events and take part in televised presidential debates and other TV programs in the coming days.

According to Iranian law, candidates can take part in electoral campaigning for the run-off vote only after the results of the first round are reviewed and confirmed by the country’s election supervisory body.

Campaigning is supposed to end 24 hours before the voting lines open.

The first presidential debate will be held on Monday between 9:30 p.m. local time (GMT 18:00) and 11:30 p.m. local time (GMT), which will be followed by another debate on Tuesday at the same time.

The themes of the two back-to-back debates have not been announced yet by the state broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

On Tuesday, the state broadcaster will also air documentaries of the two candidates after the debate.

An estimated 61 million people are eligible to vote in this election, according to state media, with the majority being youth. In the 2021 presidential election, 59.3 million people were eligible to vote.

In the first round, voter turnout at 40 percent was the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

While Jalili’s campaign has been bolstered by the support of three other presidential candidates – Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Alireza Zakani and Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Pezeshkian is backed by the leading reformist coalition of the country, including former ministers.