According to Khabaronline news agency The election process begins with the registration of candidates And after reviewing the qualifications, introducing the final candidates, advertising, voting and announcing the results continue. The Ministry of Interior is responsible for conducting elections and the Guardian Council supervises it within the framework of the Constitution. Registration alone does not mean confirmation of eligibility or shortlisting of candidates.
How many years are presidential elections held?
According to Article 114 of the Constitution, the presidential term is four years and the president is elected by direct vote of the people. Re-election of the president consecutively for another term is also allowed.
According to Article 119 of the Constitution, the election of the new president must be held at least one month before the end of the previous presidential term. The presidential election law also specifies the timing and implementation details. In exceptional circumstances, separate provisions may apply; Therefore, to know the exact date of each election, you should follow the official announcements of the same period.
Conditions for candidacy in the presidential election
Article 115 of the Constitution states the general conditions for electing the president. According to this principle, the president must be chosen from among “religious and political men” and must be of Iranian origin and subject to Iran. Also, having the ability to manage and tact, good record, trustworthiness and piety and belief in the foundations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the official religion of the country are among the conditions mentioned in this principle.
The presidential election law also determines the details related to the registration and the legal procedures of candidates. To know the exact rules of each course, one should check the valid and current text of the law and official announcements; Because the implementing regulations may change over time.
The legal conditions of nomination should be considered separately from the political and social evaluation of the voters. Citizens may have different opinions about the management experience, programs, or perspectives of volunteers; However, the authority designated in the law is responsible for checking the legal competence. As a result, declaring a person’s readiness or registration alone does not mean that he is nominated.
Presidential election stages
1. Announcement of election time and registration of candidates
The timing and registration method will be announced by the responsible authorities. Candidates must register within the deadline and provide the requested information and documents. This is the beginning of the review process, not the final confirmation of the nomination.
2. Check qualifications
After the end of the registration, the eligibility of the candidates will be checked according to the law. Principles 99 and 118 of the Constitution entrust the supervision of presidential elections to the Guardian Council within the prescribed framework. The result of the examination of qualifications is the basis for determining the list of final candidates; Therefore, not all people who are registered will necessarily enter the electoral competition.
3. Announcement of final candidates
After going through legal procedures, the list of final candidates will be announced. From this stage, the official competition is formed between people whose presence in the elections has been confirmed. The backgrounds, programs and views of these candidates become the main subject of advertisements and voter comparisons.
4. Election campaigns
Candidates introduce their plans and priorities during the campaign period. Issues such as economy, employment, education, health, housing and foreign policy are usually raised in election debates and discussions.
Don’t rely on slogans to evaluate promises. Examining whether the implementation of a proposal is under the legal authority of the president or requires the cooperation of the parliament and other institutions, what resources it requires and when it can be implemented, helps to compare the programs more accurately. Advertising criteria should also be checked based on the law and official announcements of the same period.
5. Voting and counting of votes
On the day of the election, eligible voters attend polling stations according to the regulations and register their vote. After the end of the voting, the votes will be counted according to the legal process and the results will be announced through the official channels.
In following the news of the elections, one should differentiate between the predictions and preliminary statistics on the one hand and the official and final result on the other hand. Unofficial reports or unannounced results are not a substitute for official announcements from the responsible authorities.
How is the president elected?
Article 117 of the Constitution states that the candidate who gets the absolute majority of the votes of the participants becomes the president. If none of the candidates get this amount of votes in the first round, the election goes to the second round.
In the second round, the two candidates who got the most votes in the first round compete against each other. The candidate who gets the majority of the votes of the participants in this stage will be the winner of the election. Therefore, a lead in the first round does not necessarily mean being selected; The final criterion is to reach the majority stipulated in the law.
The role of the Ministry of Interior and the Guardian Council
The Ministry of Interior is responsible for the implementation of elections. Preparation of voting preparations, coordination of executive affairs, organization of branches and informing about election procedures are among the important parts of this responsibility.
The Guardian Council supervises the elections within the framework of the constitution and checks the qualifications of the candidates. In short, the implementation of the electoral process and its supervision are two distinct responsibilities: the Ministry of Interior is the administrator of the elections, and the Guardian Council is responsible for the supervisory duties stipulated in the law.
The beginning of the presidential term
The announcement of the voting result is not the same as the official beginning of the presidential term. According to Article 1 of the Presidential Election Law, the four-year period starts from the date of the execution of the credentials by the leadership. Therefore, after the voting, the legal procedures of announcing the result and then the formalities of the beginning of the new term are followed.
What points should voters pay attention to?
To compare candidates, voters can look at a few things:
- Management and executive experience: previous responsibilities and experience of managing organizations or solving executive issues.
- Clarity of programs: clear and measurable proposals, not just catchy slogans.
- The limits of the president’s authority: that each promise is within the scope of the government’s authority or requires the cooperation of other institutions.
- Resources and timing: financial resources, executive capacity and time required to carry out programs.
- Accountability: how to report the performance of the government and the criteria for measuring the fulfillment of promises.
summary
Presidential elections in Iran are held based on the Constitution and the Presidential Election Law. The president is elected by direct vote of the people for a four-year term, and if no candidate receives an absolute majority of the votes of the participants in the first round, the election goes to the second round.
Registration of candidates, examination of qualifications, announcement of final candidates, advertising, voting and announcement of results are the main stages of this process. The Ministry of Interior is responsible for conducting elections and the Guardian Council supervises it within the framework of the Constitution. To follow the election news, it is also important to distinguish between registration and confirmation of eligibility, between leading and final victory, and between announcing the result and the official start of the presidential term.
57
