Karzai congratulates Iran’s president-elect

KABUL (PAN): Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday congratulated Hassan Rohani on his remarkable victory in Iran’s recent presidential elections, the Presidential Palace said.

On behalf of the Afghan people, Karzai congratulated the people and the government of Iran on electing Rohani as their new leader, a moderate voice, a statement from the Presidential Palace said.

Karzai extended his best wishes to Rohani and hoped both countries would reinforce their relations and continue to work together towards that end under his leadership.

Centrist Rohani was elected as Iran’s next president, a day after an election marked by a high turnout of 72.7 percent.

Rohani, who had been endorsed by former presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, won 50.71 percent of the vote, far outpacing the other candidates. A total of 36,704,156 votes were cast, 35,458,747 of which were valid.

According to the Interior Ministry, 50,483,192 people were eligible to vote in Friday’s election.

Rohani received 18,613,329 votes, which just surpassed the 50 percent of the vote required for an outright victory and allowed him to avoid a run-off election that would have been held on June 21.

Rohani currently represents Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in the Supreme National Security Council, and is a member of the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts. He is also president of the Expediency Council’s Center for Strategic Research.

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