Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20
By Farhad Daneshvar – Trend:
While unconfirmed reports suggest that Iranian incumbent President Hassan Rouhani has defeated his conservative rival Ebrahim Raeisi, the country’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarid has tweeted urging respect for his countrymen.
The latest announcement by the county’s Interior Ministry said that with 25 million ballots certified by the authorities so far, Rouhani got 14.619 million votes and Raisi gained 10.125 million votes.
According to the official announcement, 40 million votes had been cast, indicating a turnout of about 70 percent.
However, an official on condition of anonymity has told Reuters that the pragmatist Rouhani secured 21.6 million votes in Friday's election, compared to 14 million for Raeisi, with 37 million votes counted.
In the meantime, Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform candidate, has congratulated Rouhani on his possible win.
The 68 year-old president has promised to improve the country’s economic situation through opening Iran to the world. He has also pledged to give Iranians more freedom.