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Good turnout forces Iranian voting time extension in UAE
Good turnout forces Iranian voting time extension in UAE Amira Agarib / 15 June 2013 A four-hour voting extension was put to good use by some of the hundreds of UAE-based Iranian citizens who voted in Friday’s election, which put an end to the tenure of longtime incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. An official at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi said that everything had proceeded well, with all security measures provided by police officers and voters casting a ballot for one of the eligible six candidates freely. Voting took place at the Iranian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Consulate General in Dubai and Exhibition Centre in Sharjah from 8am. Voting was extended three times in an effort to allow more people their democratic right, with voting finally closing at 9pm at the heavily policed diplomatic missions, with more than 10 police officers checking citizenship before allowing voters entry at the Consulate General building in Dubai. A Khaleej Times photographer saw dozens of voters turn up in the dying minutes of the election at the Consulate General in Dubai, though a spokesman was unable to give a number. The spokesman told Khaleej Times on Friday evening that a result would be expected by tomorrow, in which a replacement to the controversial Ahmadinejad who has come to the end of the two terms he is constitutionally eligible for, would be announced. “There’s been a good turnout, the people are coming…but we need time…to collect the votes,” he said. “(By Sunday) I hope we’ll be finished with the election.” No violations had been recorded either. Thirty-five-year-old Iranian Hassan Ali said that people were very excited and wanted to participate in the first presidential poll since the 2009 contest. People should respect the results of the election and do their best to bring prosperity to their country, he said. However, Mohamed N. said that many people had not registered and were seemingly indifferent, while others were scared to even express their political opinions. He said for expatriates, it was very difficult to have an opinion as many did not properly know the six presidential candidates, though the large number of Iranians in the UAE meant the votes of UAE-based Iranians were vital in determining who was going to win. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Early results give Iran moderate clear lead: ministry
Early results give Iran moderate clear lead: ministry (AFP) / 15 June 2013 With results in from 10 percent of the polling stations, moderate candidate Hassan Rowhani has a clear lead, with 49.87 percent of the vote in Iran’s presidential election, the interior ministry said on Saturday. Rowhani, a former top nuclear negotiator, has collected nearly 1,460,000 votes of the some 3,024,000 ballots counted by 8:00 am (0330 GMT), the ministry said: more than twice as much as his nearest rival. On the votes counted so far, Rowhani is followed by Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf with 16 percent; top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili with 13 percent; and ex-commander of the Revolutionary Guards Mohsen Rezai with 13 percent. All three of these candidates hail from conservative camps. More than 50.5 million Iranians were eligible to vote to find a successor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Iranian authorities and media reported massive numbers of people turned out for Friday’s election. Earlier, Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said his electoral staff would not “compromise accuracy for speed,” dismissing criticism over the pace of the counting process. No official estimate of turnout has been provided yet. Rowhani, 64, led talks with world powers over Iran’s nuclear ambitions under the presidency of reformist Mohammad Khatami. He has vowed to mend Iran’s ties with the international community, and move to ease western economic sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear drive. If no candidate gets an overall majority in the first round, the top two candidates will square off in a second-round run-off scheduled June 21. Continue reading
Erdogan issues final protest warning
Erdogan issues final protest warning (AFP) / 13 June 2013 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday issued a “last warning” for thousands of protesters to evacuate an Istanbul park at the centre of mass anti-government unrest. This was after offering to hold a referendum on plans to redevelop the site. “I’m making my last warning: mothers, fathers please withdraw your kids from there,” Erdogan said in a live television broadcast. “We cannot wait any longer because Gezi Park does not belong to occupying forces. It belongs to everybody.” The premier urged environmental protesters to withdraw so that police could clear the site of “illegal organisations”. “Don’t sadden us anymore, let us clean Gezi park and return it to its rightful owners… the people of Istanbul.” On Tuesday, police already took back Taksim Square, next to the park, sparking a day of violent clashes between riot police and tens of thousands of angry demonstrators. A campaign to save Gezi Park’s 600 trees from being razed to make way for a replica of Ottoman-era military barracks was met with a tough police response on May 31. The violence sparked a nationwide outpouring of anger against Erdogan, seen as increasingly authoritarian after more than a decade in power. The premier has faced international condemnation over his handling of the crisis, which has left four people dead and injured nearly 5,000 demonstrators. But Erdogan defended the police action, saying: “Police use force when needed.” He put the damage from the protests so far at 100 million lira (40 million euros). Continue reading
