Rouhani urges high turnout in Iran's presidential election

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday urged Iranians to actively participate in the upcoming presidential elections to decide on the future of their country in the following years.

Addressing tens of thousands of his fans in the Azadi Stadium in the west of the capital Tehran, Rouhani said that people will show to the world on the "decisive" Friday that they favor "peace" over "tension" in their life under the next adminstration.

Rouhani criticized his powerful conservative rivals, who have their grips on the key institutions in the Islamic republic, for what he said creating obstacles for him in the past four years so that he could not implement some of his programs.

He told the crowd that he "fulfilled what he promised" during his electoral campaign four years ago, except for the promises he was unable to fulfill due to the "obstacles" placed in front of him, Iran daily reported on Saturday.

Rouhani said that certain people inside the country "dealt blows to national interests for the sake of partisan gains" while Iranian negotiators were holding nuclear talks with world powers.

He also urged the nation to vote for the "path of moderation" and do not allow hardliners to isolate Iran again.

Rouhani described the upcoming election as "decisive," urging people from all walks of life to turn out to cast their ballots for the future of the country.

Iranians will go to the polls on May 19 to elect a new president. More than 50 million people are eligible to vote. Endit