(5 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY: NO USE BY BBC PERSIAN, VOA PERSIAN, MANOTO TV, IRAN INTERNATIONAL
++The Associated Press is adhering to Iranian law that stipulates all media are banned from providing BBC Persian, VOA Persian, Manoto TV and Iran International any coverage from Iran, and under this law if any media violate this ban the Iranian authorities can immediately shut down that organisation in Tehran.++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dubai - 5 July 2024
++STARTS ON SOUNDBITE++
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press: ++PARTLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS 2, 3, 4, 5 AND 6++
"The Iranian government is holding a runoff presidential election today. It is pitting the former nuclear negotiator and hard-liner Saeed Jalili against the reformist politician and lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian. Now this race is about the presidency, obviously, but perhaps more importantly for the Iranian theocracy, it's about turnout. Last week's first round of voting saw no candidate get the over 50% required to take the election in the first round. It also saw the lowest turnout in the history of Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Now, officials in the time since have tried to downplay that but the government for decades has pointed to voter participation as a sign of the wider population support for the Shiite theocracy. So today, officials up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have said that we have seen higher turnout, but there have been online videos of largely deserted polling centers, as well as a survey of centers in Tehran -- several dozen of them -- saw pretty light traffic. That is contrasted against what the officials are saying and what's been aired on state television, which is showing polling centers around the country with modest lines but steady business. So as of right now, we're waiting to see whether Iran is going to choose this hard-liner or this reformist politician who has deep ties to the government. But for the theocracy, just how many people turn out might be the most important vote of all."
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
ASSOCIATED PRESS - NO USE BY BBC PERSIAN, VOA PERSIAN, MANOTO TV, IRAN INTERNATIONAL
Qarchak county, near Tehran, Iran - 5 July 2024
2. Iran's hard-line presidential candidate Saeed Jalili casting his ballot ++OVERLAID ON SHOT 1++
ASSOCIATED PRESS - NO USE BY BBC PERSIAN, VOA PERSIAN, MANOTO TV, IRAN INTERNATIONAL
Qods Town, near Tehran - 5 July 2024
3. Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian surrounded by supporters at polling station ++OVERLAID ON SHOT 1++
ASSOCIATED PRESS - NO USE BY BBC PERSIAN, VOA PERSIAN, MANOTO TV, IRAN INTERNATIONAL
Tehran, Iran - 5 July 2024
4. Tilt down of polling station ++OVERLAID ON SHOT 1++
5. Various of voters outside polling station ++OVERLAID ON SHOT 1++
6. Various of people inside polling station, registering and casting ballots ++OVERLAID ON SHOT 1++
STORYLINE:
Iranians voted Friday in a runoff presidential election between a hard-line former nuclear negotiator and a reformist lawmaker.
Both candidates have tried to convince a sceptical public to cast ballots after years of economic woes and mass protests roiling the Islamic Republic.
The race between hard-liner Saeed Jalili and Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and long-time member of parliament, comes after a first round of voting saw the lowest turnout ever for an Iranian election, leaving turnout Friday a major question.
"Last week's first round of voting saw no candidate get the over 50% required to take the election in the first round," the AP's Jon Gambrell explains.
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