Saturday, Jun 15, 2013
TEHRAN (AFP)--Moderate cleric Hassan Rohani has won Iran's presidential election, the interior minister announced Saturday, ending eight years of conservative grip on the nation's executive.
Minister Mohammad Mostafa Najjar said Rohani won outright with 18.6 million votes, or 51%.
He said 36.7 million people--73% of the electorate--voted on Friday out of an eligible 50.5 million.
The incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had been constitutionally barred from standing again after serving two consecutive terms.
Najjar added that Tehran's conservative mayor, Mohamad Baghir Ghalibaf, was runner-up with 6.07 million or 17% of the votes.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, who advocated resistance in Tehran's atomic talks with world powers, came third with 4.16 million, or 11%.
Former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei and ex-foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati won 3.88 and 2.26 million votes, respectively.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
15-06-13 1645GMT
