Eyewitness: 'It's too close to call'

The election has divided Iran along class and ideological lines

Iranians are voting in an historic second round vote for the country's presidential election, which has pitted conservative Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

The BBC News website spoke to Armen, a journalist working in Tehran, about the atmosphere on the streets of the Iranian capital as people go to cast their votes.

1900 (1430 GMT), TEHRAN

The voting time has been extended to later and may be extended again.

I went to check at some stations in Tehran - some were pretty crowded with people in lines waiting to vote.

I checked the news, and reports from other journalists seemed to say that in provinces across the country there has been a large turnout, with the majority of people waiting to vote later in the afternoon.

Earlier, an interior ministry spokesman said there had been some irregularity and warned they would suspend voting in some stations.

It was later reported that the Guardian Council said they had not received any such reports, so any stopping of voting would be forbidden, but I don't know if this has been confirmed.

Up to now it seems the vote is too close to call. Turnout will be of course be very important.

Some pro-reformist newspaper reports I read online said that in many cities across the country - except Tehran, Isfahan and Mashhad - Rafsanjani is ahead, although again this can't be confirmed.

It all turns on the north and the centre of Tehran. These areas can be big for Rafsanjani.

'Nothing is clear'

There is a sense of fear among some of Iran's youth because I think they fear their social freedoms will be restricted by a president like Ahmadinejad, although he says these rumours are not true.

I think those who voted for Rafsanjani are hoping he will continue the reforms that Khatami started.

Intellectuals, writers, film-makers and other reformists have said they will vote for Rafsanjani, but whether this will affect people's views I don't know.

If the Iranian middle-class votes, maybe it will make a difference.

Regardless, it all depends on the following months and the direction the winner takes.

In Iranian politics, nothing is clear.

1330 (0900 GMT), TEHRAN

Voting began again this morning at about 0900. From what I've heard and seen I think it's going to be quite a big turnout.

We saw cars full of people heading to the polling stations. In the poorer parts of south Tehran, there have been reports of long lines at the stations.

I went early because I had to come to work - I voted for Rafsanjani.

It was not very crowded at the polling station when I got there, but perhaps it will be like last time - people voted later in the day to avoid the sun. It's a blazing hot day here in Tehran.

I cannot speak about the result, it all depends on the people in different areas of Tehran and other parts where there is a more developed majority of voters for Ahmadinejad.

Split

If the turnout is really big, maybe the results will favour Rafsanjani.

While Iran's government is clearly non-democratic, this election is a move towards democracy Aaron, Princeton, USA Iran elections: Your views

The reformists have criticised him before, but now they say he is the only hope for the future.

Tehran is a split city - in the east or western areas of Tehran people will vote for Rafsanjani, but as you head further south or even east, voters are more in favour of Ahmadinejad.

The mayor has promised to fight corruption and that's why they have voted for him.

Rafsanjani has already been in power for two terms, just after the [Iran-Iraq] war.

Certain people in that time benefited from the post-war reconstruction, but the mayor [Ahmadinejad] and his aides allege that many people missed out.

Economic pledges

In this election, the economic issue has proved very serious.

Ahmadinejad has promised to improve people's living situation - there are many people in this city and in the country as a whole living below the poverty line. They hope he can improve their lives.

However, even ordinary people say that they don't know what could happen under Ahmadinejad, they just hope things will change a bit.

But we don't know in which direction he will lean and many reformists are afraid of what is going to happen.

Also, I don't think that the election will necessarily change everything. Everything has to be approved by the Supreme Leader and no president can change policies.

There maybe a shift in direction, but it won't be that radical.