- Title: Iran: Iranians Vote In Presidential Elections
- Date: 23rd May 1997
- Summary: Iranians turned out to vote for a successor to President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is bound by law to step down in August after eight years in office. After a fiercely fought campaign, the result looked set to be a close call after Iranians turned out in force on May 23. The contest looked to be between two Shi'ite Moslem clergymen, moderate Mohammad Khatami and conservative Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri.Supreme spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Rafsanjani, in remarks broadcast by Tehran radio, called on all eligible voters to take an active part in the election. The moderate Khatami, a former culture minister popular with women, youths and intellectuals, was expected to sweep the capital and some other major cities.Nateq-Nouri, the speaker of parliament who is backed by Iran's conservative clergy and merchant class, is seen as an establishment figure and is stronger in rural areas. Some 33,180 polling stations guarded by 200,000 police opened for 10 hours at 8:00 a.m. (0330 GMT). Thirty-three million Iranians aged 15 and over are eligible to vote. On May 26 it was announced that Mohammad Khatami had won the election by a landslide. He was installed as President on August 4.
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- Location: IRAN
- Reuters ID: LDL00126NQRD3
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
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- Copyright Holder: Reuters Archive
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