Senior Iranian Cleric Urges Maximum Turnout in Election

Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a senior Iranian religious leader, called for the massive participation of the Iranian people in the upcoming presidential voting on Friday.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said that going to the polls was a “religious, divine and social duty”, calling on all eligible voters to go to the polls.

In separate statements released on Thursday, other senior Iranian clerics, including Grand Ayatollahs Hossein Nouri Hamedani and Mohammad Ali Alavi Gorgani also called for massive participation of voters in the presidential poll.

Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani called on Iranians to go to the polls and said taking part in elections is “a religious and rational duty.”

He said a high voter turnout will further disappoint the enemies and demonstrate the “power, unity and will” of the Iranian nation.

He also called on the Iranians to vote for the most qualified candidate, who is pious and revolutionary, would safeguard Islamic values and meet the basic needs of people.

Ayatollah Alavi Gorgani also urged a high turnout in the election, urging voters to choose a person who believes in religious principles and the Islamic establishment.

He said the presence of people would once again disappoint the enemies who seek to create voter apathy in the election.

The 11th round of the presidential election and the 4th round of Islamic City and Village Councils election will be held in Iran on June 14.

Iranian voters will go to over 66,000 polling stations inside and outside the country on June 14 to elect their next president.

Campaigning for the June 14 presidential election kicked off in Iran on May 22 after the Guardian Council released the list of 8 qualified candidates, although 6 have remained now.

The qualified candidates represent a wide range of political streams from Principlists to reformers.

There are now 6 candidates left in the race after two of them quitted. They include Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Former Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary and chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, former SNSC Secretary and chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rouhani, former Oil and Telecommunication minister Seyed Mohammad Qarazi, former Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezayee.