Official process for snap presidential election begins in Iran

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi issued a decree on Sunday ordering governors of provinces and cities across Iran to set up election executive committees in their regions within the next three days.

The decree also ordered authorities to launch other programs mentioned in a timetable that had been earlier announced for the elections.

Early presidential elections are required under Article 131 of Iran’s Constitution which stipulates that a new president should be elected by public votes within a maximum of 50 days from the day when a president dies or is incapacitated.

President Raeisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, two senior local officials, a protection officer and three flight crew members, were onboard a helicopter that crashed in mountainous regions near Iran’s Varzaqan region on May 19 as they were returning from a dam inauguration service held on the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan.

A council comprising of heads of three branches of the Iranian government held a meeting a day after the helicopter crash and agreed on June 28 as the date for early presidential elections in the country.

Iran’s Elections Headquarters issued a first notice on Sunday announcing that candidates can register for the elections between May 30 and June 3.

Iran’s Guardian Council, a key constitutional and religious supervision body responsible for health of elections, will decide on a list of candidates some two weeks before the votes.

Campaigning will begin on June 12 and will run until June 27, according to the timetable announced by the government.