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1997 Iranian presidential election

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Field	Value
election_name	1997 Iranian presidential election
country	Iran
type	presidential
previous_year	1993
previous_election	1993 Iranian presidential election
next_election	2001 Iranian presidential election
next_year	2001
ongoing	no
election_date	23 May 1997
turnout	79.92% ( 22.32 or 29.26pp)
registered	36,466,487
image_size	150x150px
image1	Members of the Government Meeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - January 11, 1998 (Cropped on Khatami).jpg
nominee1	Mohammad Khatami
party1	Association of Combatant Clerics
alliance1	Reformists
popular_vote1	20,078,187
percentage1	69.07%
image2	Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri by NLAI.jpg
nominee2	Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri
party2	CCA
alliance2	Principlists
popular_vote2	7,242,859
percentage2	24.91%
title	President
before_election	Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
before_party	CCA
after_election	Mohammad Khatami
after_party	Association of Combatant Clerics

Presidential elections were held in Iran on 23 May 1997, which resulted in an unpredicted win for the reformist candidate Mohammad Khatami. The election was notable not only for the lopsided majority of the winner – 70% – but for the high turnout. 80% of those eligible to vote did so, compared to 50% in the previous presidential election.

During the election, voting age was 15 and more than half of Iran's population was younger than 25.

Candidates

The Council of Guardians blocked 234 candidates from running for the presidency because they lacked the religious and political qualifications. Only four candidates were permitted to run for office:

Mohammad Khatami, Former Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance
Mohammad Reyshahri, Former Minister of Intelligence and National Security
Reza Zavare'i, Member of Guardian Council
Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri, Incumbent Speaker of the Parliament of Iran

Disqualified candidates

Ebrahim Yazdi, secretary-general of Freedom Movement of Iran
Habibollah Payman, leader of Movement of Militant Muslims
Ezzatollah Sahabi, leading Nationalist-Religious figure
Azam Taleghani, former member of the Iranian parliament

Declined to run

Mir-Hossein Mousavi, former Prime Minister

Issues

The candidates were asked about their opinion on the fatwa against Salman Rushdie. Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri said that any "a good Muslim" would carry out the fatwa. Mohammad Khatami avoided the issue. Mohammad Khatami's supporters called Nateq-Nouri the "Taliban" of Iran.

Khatami ran on a platform of political liberalization at home and détente abroad and expressed support for the easing Islamic regulations "from women's dress to whether TV satellite dishes should be allowed."

Endorsements

Organization	Candidate
title=Iran Encountering Globalization: Problems and Prospects	publisher=Routledge	date = 2013-02-01	isbn=9781136776793	first=Ali	last=Mohammidi	page=214}}	Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri
Islamic Coalition Society
Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom
Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution
Association of Combatant Clerics	Mohammad Khatami
Executives of Construction Party
Coalition of Imam's Line groups
Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization
Hezbollah Assembly (parliamentary group)
Association for Defence of Revolution Values	Mohammad Reyshahri
Freedom Movement of Iran	Boycott
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan

Media

During the elections, neutrality of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) became a subject of dispute, as the organization was accused of supporting Nateq-Nouri and promoting conservative agenda.

Salam supported Khatami
Hamshahri supported Khatami
Resalat supported Nateq-Nouri
Kayhan supported Nateq-Nouri

Results

1997 Iranian presidential election	Party	Candidate	Nohen et al	ISSDP	Votes
Association of Combatant Clerics	Mohammad Khatami	20,078,187	69.07	20,138,784	69.1
Combatant Clergy Association	Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri	7,242,859	24.91	7,248,317	24.87
Independent	Reza Zavarei	771,460	2.65	772,707	2.65
Association for Defence of Revolution Values	Mohammad Reyshahri	742,598	2.55	744,205	2.65
Blank or invalid votes	240,996	0.93	241,732	0.83
Totals	29,067,100	100	29,145,745	100
Registered voters	33,784,000	86.04	36,466,487	79.92

References

Abrahamian, Ervand, ''History of Modern Iran'', Columbia University Press, 2008, p. 186
Bakhash, Shaul. (1998). "Iran's Remarkable Election". Journal of Democracy.
(2012). "Social Movements in Iran: Environmentalism and Civil Society". Routledge.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20030329100238/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=%2Farchive%2F1997%2F05%2F24%2Fwiran24.html Calls for reform grow louder as Iran goes to polls] 24 May 1997
[http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-rubin031802.shtml Iran’s Myth of Moderation] 18 March 2002
(2000). "Who rules Iran?: the structure of power in the Islamic Republic". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
(2009). "After Khomeini: Iran Under His Successors". Oxford University Press.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20030520031442/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=%2Farchive%2F1997%2F05%2F22%2Fwiran122.html Rushdie key issue in Iran election] 22 May 1997
[https://web.archive.org/web/20021123102843/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=%2Farchive%2F1997%2F05%2F22%2Fwiran22.html Election farce as Iran chooses its president] 22 May 1997
(2004). "Diplomacy in the Middle East: The International Relations of Regional and Outsid". I.B.Tauris.
(19 May 1997). "Iranians look for economic help from Friday's election".
Mohammidi, Ali. (2013-02-01). "Iran Encountering Globalization: Problems and Prospects". Routledge.
Samii, Abbas W.. (Winter 2005). "The Changing Landscape of Party Politics in Iran—A Case Study". Journal of the European Society for Iranian Studies.
(2008). "Iran, a country study". Library of Congress.
Mehdi Moslem. (2002). "Factional Politics in Post-Khomeini Iran". Syracuse University Press.
(2016). "Power and Change in Iran: Politics of Contention and Conciliation". Indiana University Press.
(2004). "Iran in Crisis?: The Future of the Revolutionary Regime and the US Response". Zed Books.
[[Gholam Khiabany]]. (2009). "Iranian Media: The Paradox of Modernity". Routledge.
John H. Lorentz. (2010). "The A to Z of Iran". Scarecrow Press.
Brumberg, Daniel. (2001). "Reinventing Khomeini: The Struggle for Reform in Iran". University of Chicago Press.
(2013). "Tehran Blues: Youth Culture in Iran". Saqi.
(2001). "Elections in Asia: A Data Handbook". Oxford University Press.
"1997 Presidential Election". Princeton University.

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