Iranians vote in historic polls

The battle to elect Iran's 10th president is heading for a close finish.

The battle to elect Iran's 10th president is heading for a close finish.

Although there are four candidates in the fray, the battle is being considered between reformist Mir Husain Musavi and incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

With the firebrand Ahmedinejad always in the news for the country's nuclear capabilities, his desire to remove Israel from the world map and denial of the Holocaust, these elections will surely affect Iran's position in the world.

voting for change: An Iranian police officer stands guard as people line up outside a polling station in Tehran yesterday.

The youth and the elite of the country are vying heavily for Musavi. "We want change and Musavi will bring it," said Mohsin Khitabi, a youngster from Tehran.

The election that took place yesterday, saw long queues with people eagerly waiting to cast their vote.

Long break

The northern part of the Iranian capital is strongly behind Musavi. "He has promised not only reform, but has also vowed to tackle the economic crisis in the country, especially by fighting sanctions," said a hopeful Hisham Emdadi.

Musavi also gains an edge, as he was the prime minister during Iran's eight-year war with Iraq. He is seen as a man who knows how to manage the country during crises. However, his absence from national politics for over a decade is seen as a major drawback.

"Musavi was out of politics for a long time. He was the prime minister during the war and he handled it very well, but the world has changed since then.

He may have been in touch with the world, but he has not been in touch with the Iranian people," said 57 year-old Mancher Golam Raza.

Ahmedinejad is popular among the middle class and with people in the rural areas. He is also seen as a hero among the masses in the Middle East for taking on the United States and Israel.

However, Ahmedinejad will have to win over 50 per cent of the votes in the first round itself to retain power.

If none of the candidates cleric Mahdi Karubi and Mohsin Rezaei being the other two manage 50 per cent votes, the top two candidates will fight for that margin in the second.