Al Jazeera English published this video item, entitled “Can a new president make a difference in Iran? | Inside Story” – below is their description.
Iranians have voted in an election to decide the fate of four candidates competing to succeed President Hassan Rouhani.
Nearly 60 million voters are eligible, but there are concerns of a low turnout in a race widely expected to be won by former judge Ebrahim Raisi.
If he wins, it would put hardliners in control as the government tries to salvage the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement.
The vote is also seen as a referendum on the current leadership
But in a country run by a powerful supreme leader, is the job of a president even relevant?
Presenter: Dareen Abughaida
Guests:
Mohammad Marandi, Head of North American Studies Graduate Program at the University of Tehran.
Ali Fathollah Nejad, Affiliated Scholar with Freie Universitat’s Center for Middle Eastern and North African Politics.
Mostafa Khoshchesm, journalist and Iran affairs analyst.
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Al Jazeera English YouTube Channel
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About This Source - Al Jazeera English
The video item below is a piece of English language content from Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera is a Qatari state-funded broadcaster based in Doha, Qatar, owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network.
Iran, also called Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city.
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian Revolution established the current Islamic Republic in 1979.
Iran’s political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, OIC, and OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power and has large reserves of fossil fuels — including the world’s largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves.
The country’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the largest being Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Mazandaranis and Lurs.
Voting is a method for a group, such as a meeting or an electorate, in order to make a collective decision or express an opinion usually following discussions, debates or election campaigns. Democracies elect holders of high office by voting. Residents of a place represented by an elected official are called “constituents”, and those constituents who cast a ballot for their chosen candidate are called “voters”. There are different systems for collecting votes, but while many of the systems used in decision-making can also be used as electoral systems, any which cater for proportional representation can only be used in elections.
In smaller organizations, voting can occur in different ways. Formally via ballot to elect others for example within a workplace, to elect members of political associations or to choose roles for others. Informally voting could occur as a spoken agreement or as a verbal gesture like a raised hand or electronically.