After weeks of debates, drama and outrage, the Islamic Republic is finally going to the polls.
Whilst reformists may be disillusioned at the lack of options, the buzz surrounding Hassan Rouhani is palpable in the streets of Tehran. The cleric’s closely aligned with the former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and leads the polls going into election day.
At the opposite end of the political spectrum, the conservatives have a number of candidates to choose from. At this stage, however, they are yet to unite behind a single name, which could lead to a split in the vote.
After the disputed result in 2009 and the bloody aftermath, Iran has strictly limited access to foreign media applying to cover the 2013 polls. With reformists already disheartened at the conservative-dominated list of candidates, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards will have plenty of tear gas at the ready, should a controversial result emerge.
Whatever happens, the man chosen to guide Iran through the next four years will be challenged with uniting the population and improving the country’s standing internationally. In the face of widespread hostility over the country’s nuclear program, that will be no easy task.
