Iran presidential candidates warned against premature victory claims
Iran Press TV
Thu Jun 13, 2013 3:3PM GMT
Iran's highest electoral supervisory body, the Guardian Council, has warned presidential candidates against claiming victory before the official election results are announced by the Interior Ministry.
'Such [premature] statements are absolutely invalid and candidates should avoid them,' the Council's spokesman, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, told reporters on Thursday.
He said under the election law, only the Interior Ministry is authorized to announce the final results of Friday's presidential race.
Kadkhodaei further warned the candidates against organizing victory parades on the streets, saying this is also illegal. He also urged media outlets not to speculate about the election results.
The six candidates in Iran's presidential election are the President of the Expediency Council's Center for Strategic Research Hassan Rohani, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, and former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi.
Former Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel and former First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref withdrew their candidacy bids earlier this week.
Iranians will go to the polls on Friday to elect their 11th president, who will succeed the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a four-year term.
Over 66,000 polling stations will be set up across the country, while expatriates will be also able to cast ballots at 285 polling stations that will be set up overseas.
Nearly 50.5 million Iranians are eligible to vote in Friday's presidential poll. The fourth city and rural council elections are also scheduled to be held on the same day.
MRS/SS/HMV
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