Iran Election Update

The Middle East Program offers the latest news on the Iranian presidential election of June 2013, based on a selection of Iranian news sources. The Iran Election Update is a daily summary of up-to-date information with links to news in both English and Farsi. It includes the latest developments and analysis of news about the upcoming election.

Friday, June 21 will be the last day of the "Iran Election Update." Starting Thursday, June 27, the Middle East Program will begin sending "Iran: The Week in Review" every Thursday afternoon.

Iran Election Update

June 21, 2013: Election Results

• Khabar Online asks, "Will former President Mohammed Khatami and Mohammed Aref work in the Rouhani government, and what does the leader of the reformist government want from the newly elected president?"  

• Khabar Online posts a transcript of a lengthy television interview on the Iranian political show "Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow," in which Akbar Torkan, former defense minister and senior advisor to president-elect Hassan Rouhani criticized the parliament and judiciary. "Some people are elected into parliament with the help of certain individuals and once they are a member of parliament that MP becomes indebted to that individual. This is where corruption starts," said Torkan. 

• The Supreme Leader’s deputy representative to the Revolutionary Guards, Hojatoleslam Haj Sadeghi, claims that President Ahmadinejad asked Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to intervene in the presidential election on three occasions in order to help his close confidant and disqualified presidential candidate Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, but the Supreme Leader did not accept his demands. 

• While speaking to university students, former presidential candidate Mohammed Aref said, "There should be no doubt as to whether I will work and cooperate with the new government." He continued, "There is a sense of hope in our dear country and during these past few days people have been happily celebrating in the streets and we haven't heard any chants such as 'death to so-and-so' and this is very valuable."

• During Friday Prayers, interim Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahhedi Kermani praised the voter turnout in the presidential election and called Hassan Rouhani an "insightful manager." He also noted that the incoming president has his work cut out for him in naming a cabinet and selecting advisors and deputies. “This is a very difficult task...he should choose those who have proved their allegiance to the Leadership and their concern for the Islamic Revolution.” “Our brother Mr. Rouhani should select such individuals who are compassionate and servants to the nation,” Kermani added. 

• Following the many reports of rumored cabinet candidates for the new Rouhani administration, a source close to Rouhani denied the rumors and said that he has not yet decided upon cabinet positions. 

• PressTV reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called for Rouhani’s presence in the upcoming Geneva international conference on Syria. "We believe that Iran’s president-elect should participate in the Geneva II conference on Syria," said Lavrov. He emphasized that Iran and all neighboring countries to Syria which are directly linked to the crisis in the Arab country and host Syrian refugees should be invited to the forum.