President-elect Rouhani thanks Iranians for huge turnout

 (MNA) – Iran’s President-elect Hassan Rohani has thanked the Iranian people for their huge turnout in the June 14 elections.

Rouhani also offered special thanks to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and other top religious figures.

Rohani said people’s meaningful and effective participation in the vote was in response to the Leader’s demand.

The election bore witness to the unity of Iranians, said the president-elect, adding the Iranian people were undoubtedly the winners of the election.

In a message on Saturday, Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed his gratitude to the Iranian people for their massive turnout in the elections, congratulating Rouhani on his victory in the presidential ballot.

Hassan Rouhani emerged victorious in Iran's 11th presidential election marked by a high voter turnout.

Rouhani won 50.7 percent of a total of 36,704,156 valid ballots counted, with 18,613,329 votes, announced Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar on Saturday.

Principlist candidate Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf came in second with 6,077,292 votes. Principlist Saeed Jalili garnered 4,168,946 votes, and independent Mohsen Rezaei 3,884,412 votes. Principlist Ali-Akbar Velayati and independent Mohammad Gharazi trailed behind in fifth and sixth places, with 2,268,753 and 446,015 votes respectively.

A total of 1,245,409 ballots were declared invalid.

Nearly 50.5 million Iranians, including more than 1.6 million first-time voters, were eligible to participate in the June 14 elections. The Interior Ministry put voter turnout at 72.7 percent.

Rouhani currently represents the Leader 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.