AFP – Moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani has a clear lead in Iran’s presidential election, garnering nearly 51% of the vote at 76% of polling stations across the country, the Iranian Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

Rowhani, a former top nuclear negotiator, collected 14.2 million votes out of 27.6 million counted by 5pm (1230 GMT), the ministry said.

If repeated at the remaining polling stations, his 50.8% tally would be enough to give him outright victory without recourse to a second-round run-off.

Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was in distant second place with 4.37 million votes or 15.6%.

He was followed by Saeed Jalili, Iran’s current top nuclear negotiator, with 11.4% and former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezai with 11.3%.

Former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati and Mohammad Gharazi trailed with less than 10% each of the vote.

More than 50.5 million Iranians were eligible to vote to elect a successor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was constitutionally barred from standing again after serving two consecutive terms.