Iran watchdog slates next presidential election for May 2017
TEHRAN -- Iran's constitutional watchdog has scheduled the next presidential election for May 2017, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday.
The Guardian Council reportedly set May 19 for the balloting, with a possible runoff a week later.
Iran usually holds presidential elections in June or later in the year but the decision to hold the next vote a month earlier came because next June will coincide with the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dusk to down.
Under the law, Iran's current President Hassan Rouhani is eligible to run for another term in office.
Along with the presidential election, Iran will at the same time also hold municipal elections to choose nearly 120,000 council members for city councils across the country.
