Iran’s interior minister underlines electoral integrity as moral imperative, prerogative of public
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has underscored the integrity of the country’s presidential election as a prerogative of the public that needs to be safeguarded amid foreign-backed attempts to jeopardize the security of the July 7 runoff vote.
Vahidi made the statement on the sidelines of a ceremony in the central city of Isfahan as the Iranian people, in their millions, are set to cast their ballots for the second round of the presidential election on Friday.
“Considering the capacities of the Islamic Republic, we have shown that we were able to hold safe and sound presidential election in 40 days [following the martyrdom of former president Ebrahim Raeisi] with intense rivalry among the candidates, and the runoff will be done in light of good security provided by the judicial, intelligence and security bodies,” Vahidi said.
“The integrity of the elections is imperative and is regarded as a public right and trust” that needs to be safeguarded, he continued.
Describing the upcoming vote as an “important choice” that would determine the fate of the country for the years to come, the Iranian interior minister said, “There is rivalry between the candidates and each of them makes their own speeches, and all in between, our religious democracy and its strength, stability and realness shine.”
Vahidi stressed that both candidates have reasonably abided by the principles and said, “There are those who take orders from abroad to instill some ideas in people in order to provoke psychological insecurity and instability, which are all part of plans by enemies and opponents.”
The interior minister added that such attempts are completely monitored by the country’s intelligence agencies.
Campaigning for the runoff vote officially began on Sunday, a day after the results of the June 28 election were announced by the Interior Ministry.
Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili received the highest number of votes but no candidate managed to secure the absolute majority, paving the way for the runoff election.
Pezeshkian is a former health minister and senior lawmaker from the northwestern city of Tabriz. Jalili is the former lead nuclear negotiator and head of the top security body.
More than 24 million people cast their votes in Friday’s election to replace Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, who lost his life in a helicopter crash on May 19.
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