Rouhani vows better international ties

TEHERAN - Iran's incumbent moderate President Hassan Rouhani won the presidential election by garnering 57 percent of the votes, the Interior Ministry announced on Saturday.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said that out of 41,220,131 counted votes, which account for 99.7 percent of the total votes cast in Friday's election, Rouhani secured 23,549,616 votes, or 57 percent.

His conservative challenger Ebrahim Raisi lagged behind with 15,786,449 votes, amounting to 38.5 percent of the vote.

Hardliners had been perceived as having great advantages against the moderates just days before the election, however, Rouhani jumpstarted his chances by raising the banner of reform during the final stage of his campaign, which echoed Iranians' ardent desire for change.

According to the law, the candidates have three days to file complaints about the results of the election with Iran's Guardian Council of Constitution, Rahmani Fazli added.

The council, as the high legislative body of the country, will ultimately confirm the results of Iran's presidential election.

On Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thanked the nation for the "mass turnout" in the election on Friday.

Khamenei described it as an "epic" and said the high turnout proved the strength of the foundations of "Islamic democracy" in the country.

The Iranian leader urged the president and his administration to actively work and endeavor to solve the country's problems.

On Saturday, Rouhani said that Iran would continue its interaction with the international community and is ready to expand cooperation with other countries.

By voting for him, Iranians have chosen the course of interaction and said "no to violence and extremism" in the world, Rouhani said in a televised speech.

The Iranians have chosen to live in peace with their neighbors and the world, he said, adding that Iran will not accept "humiliation and threats" .

He also said that he is ready to work with his rivals inside the country to implement his programs in the next administration.

Rouhani's landslide win stemmed from a large turnout of voters who saw him as the best choice to translate their hopes into real changes in Iran's domestic and foreign policies.

In a Twitter massage on Saturday, Rouhani also thanked his supporters, saying that "I will stick to my promises for you."

Xinhua