Ghalibaf backs Jalili in run-off saying 'the road is not over yet'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Jun 2024 16:08

Iranian Presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announces his support for Saeed Jalili in the second round of presidential elections, facing off against Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iranian presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaking during a rally with his constituents on June 29, 2024. (Tasnim)

Iranian presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has announced his support for candidate Saeed Jalili in the second round of the election, in which Jalili and reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian have become locked in a tight race.

While emphasizing his respect for Pezeshkian in a statement issued after the announcement of the official results of the first round, which showed his exit from the competition by coming third after Pezeshkian and Jalili, Ghalibaf called on the revolutionary forces and their supporters to help stop the current that caused a significant part of Iran's economic and political troubles, and not to allow it to return to power.

Ghalibaf emphasized that he had overcome "the political logic that dictated that he stay in the position of Speaker of Parliament" and announced his candidacy "to complete the path we started with Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi", stressing that "the road is not over yet" and the need to support the election of Revolutionary Front candidate Saeed Jalili.

Ghalibaf also said that the upcoming elections are a sign of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Leader of the Revolution's deep belief in religious popular sovereignty, providing the opportunity to compete in a healthy and fair manner for the people to choose their representatives with effective participation.

Candidate Zakani, who withdraw on day before the election, reiterated his support for Jalili, thanking the efforts of Ghalibaf, Ghazizadeh, and all those who supported them, and calling on everyone to exert all their efforts to encourage voting in favor of Jalili in the second round.

Iranian Election Commission: Pezeshkian, Jalili to second round

Iran's electoral commission head, Mohsen Eslami, officially announced that presidential candidates Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili will proceed to a runoff in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for next Friday.

During a press conference to announce the election results, the head of the committee indicated that the turnout in the elections reached 40%, with Pezeshkian receiving (10,415,991 votes), while Jalili received (9,473,298 votes).

As for presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, he received (3,383,340 votes), and Mostafa Pourmohammadi received (206,397 votes).

The Iranian Ministry of Interior's Presidential Elections Commission announced the conclusion of the voting process and the commencement of vote counting at midnight on Friday.

This followed three extensions of the electoral deadline, originally scheduled to conclude at six o’clock Friday evening. Extensions were granted initially until eight o'clock, then ten o'clock, and finally until midnight, Tehran time.

Iran held its 14th presidential election to elect a successor to the late President Ebrahim Raisi, in 58,640 polling stations across the country and 340 stations in more than 95 countries.