Voting begins in Iran presidential election

The Jerusalem Post:

Iranians began casting votes Friday in what could be the country's tightest presidential election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. READ MORE

The stakes are boosted because of Tehran's negotiations with the West over its nuclear program and its role as a patron of the Shiite Muslim majority in neighboring Iraq.

The apparent front-runner, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, seeks to return to office after eight years as a key adviser for the ruling clerics, who hold the real power over the elected president and parliament.

His chief rival is considered to be Mostafa Moin, a close ally of outgoing President Mohammad Khatami, whose two terms since 1997 have led to a significant expansion in social freedoms but failed to weaken the powers of the theocracy. Khatami could not run again because the Iranian constitution bars three consecutive terms in the presidency.

But no candidate may have enough support to surpass 50 percent of the vote in the seven-man field, which would force Iran's first presidential run-off vote next week between the top two vote getters.

Some protest groups, meanwhile, have urged for an election boycott because hundreds of pro-reform candidates were blocked from running.

Polls are scheduled to close at 7 p.m., but authorities have extended voting hours in past elections. Results are expected Saturday.