Iran sets May 2017 for presidential elections

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s Interior Ministry on Wednesday said a constitutional watchdog had approved the country’s presidential election for May 2017.

A Wednesday night report by the official IRNA news agency quoted ministry spokesman, Salman Samani, as saying the Guardian Council has approved May 19 as the election day.

Samani said both presidential and municipal elections will be held at the same time across the country.

Several other news agencies on Wednesday reported the same information. Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian state TV retracted its previous report, saying instead that the vote has not been scheduled. It did not elaborate on the discrepancy.

In June, May 19 was proposed by the Interior Ministry, but the ultimate decision rests with the council. At the time, the ministry said holding the vote a month earlier than usual — Iran typically holds presidential elections in June or later — would avoid having the 2017 balloting fall during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dusk to down.

Under the law, President Hassan Rouhani is eligible to run for another term in office.