2005 Iranian presidential election

2005 Iranian presidential election

← 2001 17 June 2005 (first round)
24 June 2005 (second round)
2009 →
Turnout62.66% (first round)
59.84% (second round)
 
Nominee Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Akbar Rafsanjani
Party ABII CCA
Alliance Principlists Reformists
Popular vote 17,284,782 10,046,701
Percentage 63.24% 36.76%

2005 Iranian presidential election results.png
2005 Iranian presidential election results.png

President before election

Mohammad Khatami
ACC

Elected President

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
ABII

Presidential elections were held in Iran 17 June 2005, with a second round run-off on 24 June. Mohammad Khatami, the outgoing president of Iran, stepped down on 2 August 2005, after serving his maximum two consecutive four-year terms according to the Islamic republic's constitution.

As no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, a run-off was held between the top two candidates, former president (1989–1997) Akbar Rafsanjanī and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hardline mayor of Tehran. Although Ahmadinejad had finished second in the first round of voting, he won the second round with 63% of the vote. Factors thought to have contributed to Ahmadinejad's victory include mobilization of mosque networks and conservative/hardline voters, and a protest vote against corrupt elite insiders and for "new political blood".[1] He was a loyal supporter of conservative Supreme Leader Khamenei.[2][3]

  1. ^ Wright, Robin, Dreams and Shadows : the Future of the Middle East, Penguin Press, 2008, p. 317–8
  2. ^ "Behind Ahmadinejad, a Powerful Cleric". The New York Times. 9 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2 November 2006. Retrieved 6 December 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)