Iran to Have 1st Presidential Runoff Ever

[merwin]

Iran to Have 1st Presidential Runoff Ever

By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - None of the seven candidates in Iran's closely contested presidential election won an outright victory, forcing the country to schedule the first presidential runoff in its history.

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Former parliamentary speaker Mahdi Karroubi, a moderate reformer, did surprisingly well, keeping pace with the favorite, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, in early returns.

But neither they nor any other of the seven candidates would collect more than 50 percent of the vote, the condition for a clear victory, an Interior Ministry official involved in the counting told The Associated Press on Saturday. He said a second round of voting would take place next Friday.

The June 24 runoff will decide who inherits a long list of challenges, including nuclear talks with the West and demands for reform at home.

Turnout in Friday's vote appeared stronger than expected and polls stayed open an extra four hours, with voting booths even set up at Tehran's main cemetery for those paying weekly visits to family graves. Some credited U.S. denunciations of the election for goading more Iranians to cast ballots after a Western-style campaign that has reshaped Iranian politics.

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On a side note, it has just come to our attention that George W Bush has been elected by a landslide!