Iranian presidential election, 2005

The Iranian presidential election of 2005, the ninth presidential election in Iranian history, took place in two rounds, first on June 17, 2005, and then as a run-off on June 24.

Related Topics:
Iran - June 17 - 2005 - June 24

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It led to the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hardline mayor of Tehran, with 19.48% of the votes in the first round and 61.69% in the second. Ahmadinezhad is believed to have won the second round because of his populist views, especially those regarding the poor people and their economic status. The election saw a turnout of almost 60% of eligible voters, seen as a strike back by Iran at the United States' initial allegations that many in Iran would be restricted from voting.

Related Topics:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - Tehran

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mohammad Khatami, the current President of Iran, had to step down on August 2, 2005, after serving his maximal two consecutive four-year terms according to the Islamic Republic's constitution.

Related Topics:
Mohammad Khatami - President of Iran - August 2 - 2005 - Islamic Republic's constitution

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first round of the election was a very close race with minor differences in the number of votes won by each candidate which led to a run-off a week later with Ahmadinezhad and ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani participating. There were seven people running for the post out of more than a thousand initial candidates, most of whom were disqualified by the Guardian Council, which holds veto power over all political candidates in Iran. Rafsanjani, who had been regarded as the front-runner and had positioned himself as a centrist, was defeated by Ahmadinezhad in the run-off, while reformist candidate Mostafa Moeen fared poorly and finished only fifth in the first round.

Related Topics:
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani - Guardian Council - Mostafa Moeen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This was the first presidential runoff in the history of Iran. Before the run-off took place, it was compared to the 2002 French presidential election, where the splintering of the left-wing vote similarly led to a run-off between the moderate Jacques Chirac and the far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen. The comparison was made because of the unexpected votes of Ahmadinezhad, the very close race, and the comparability of the political standings of Rafsanjani and Ahmadinezhad to those of Chirac and Le Pen. But after the results for the run-off is out, the comparison is considered void because of the higher standing of Ahmadinezhad and the inability of his opponents to form a majority alliance against him.

Related Topics:
2002 French presidential election - Jacques Chirac - Far-right - Jean-Marie Le Pen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~