Ebrahim Noroozi / AP

A supporter of Iranian presidential candidate Hasan Rowhani holds up his poster at a celebration gathering, in Tehran, late Saturday.

Jubilant Iranians took to the streets of Tehran to celebrate late into the night Saturday after reformist Hassan Rohani was elected president, sweeping to victory with over 50 per cent of the vote.

In euphoric mood, people in the streets were chanting, “Bye bye Ahmadi, bye bye Ahmadi” in a reference to outgoing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In an ironic twist those same people were making the same chants four years ago before the results came in those elections, which were followed by a bloody crackdown. Not so on Saturday night.

Everything went by very peacefully, showing how much difference four years in Iranian politics can make.

Saturday’s vote also showed a split in opinion amongst Iranian voters.

Results show a divide in opinion in the country with almost a fifty-fifty split between conservatives and reformists.

About 35 million people went to the polls with Hassan Rohani getting just over 18 million votes, while the combined vote for the five conservative candidates was just under 18 million.

That does not mean some sort of Arab Spring is on the horizon - far from it - but it shows how Iranians want the country managed in a different way and how they want the country perceived overseas.

Hassan Rohani is a pragmatic man.

During his time as  chief nuclear negotiator he got along very well with Western diplomats. While he held that position, Iran suspended uranium enrichment. They restarted it when Ahmadinejad became president.

Now Iranians will wait to see if Rohani can deliver tangible policy changes or if this is just going to be a softening in tone rather than substance.

Related:

• Timeline: Recent events in Iran
• Only reformist candidate drops out of race to be Iran's president
  
• Iran election primer: After Ahmadinejad, who will lead?

Vahid Salemi / AP

Hasan Rowhani waves at supporters during a campaign rally in April.

The Iranian interior ministry announced on Saturday that moderate cleric Hasan Rowhani has won the country’s presidential election, NBC News confirms.

Rowhani won with a fraction over the 50 percent of the vote needed to win outright on the first poll. Voter turnout was recorded at 72.7 percent.

Press TV, an Iranian state media outlet, reported that Rowhani was born in the city of Sorkheh and earned his masters and doctorate degrees at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Rowhani was the closest thing to a reform candidate in the election to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after Mohammad Reza Aref dropped out of the race on Tuesday. Some Iranians showed their support for Rowhani on the streets by wearing purple bracelets.

Aref’s withdrawal was seen as likely to help Rowhani, who drew substantial crowds at his campaign rallies.

Rowhani also won the support of an advisory council aligned with reformist former President Mohammad Khatami.

A former nuclear negotiator, it is not considered likely that Rowhani will bring about any major policy shift regarding the country’s disputed nuclear program. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini is responsible for all major national security policy decisions in the country.

The White House responded to the ministry’s announcement that Rowhani had won with a statement on Saturday.

“We respect the vote of the Iranian people and congratulate them for their participation in the political process, and their courage in making their voices heard,” the statement from the office of the White House press secretary read. “It is our hope that the Iranian government will heed the will of the Iranian people and make responsible choices that create a better future for all Iranians.”

A spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office acknowledged the announcement of Rowhani’s election on Saturday.

“We call on him to use the opportunity to set Iran on a different course for the future: addressing international concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, taking forward a constructive relationship with the international community, and improving the political and human rights situation for the people of Iran,” the spokesperson said in the written statement.

The presidential vote was Iran’s first since 2009. That election led to protests and rallies by reformists when Ahmadinejad, the incumbent, was named the winner.

This year’s election proceeded in relative calm.

Related:

• Rohani tops early Iran election results, interior ministry says
• Rohani on course for outright Iran election win
• Moderate Rohani looks on way to outright Iran election victory

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's two-term presidency will end officially in early August when the victor of Friday's election takes office, but many of his pronouncements over the last eight years will surely linger in memories of Iranians and world citizens alike.

Here's a look back at some of Ahmadinejad's most memorable statements and appearances.

Questioning the Holocaust.

Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust a myth numerous times, but in 2009, representatives of several nations walked out of the United Nations' General Assembly because of his remarks: "They (the Western powers) launched the myth of the Holocaust. They lied, they put on a show and then they support the Jews."

Earlier, in October 2006, NBC's Brian Williams interviewed Ahmadinejad and asked about some of his statements. The Iranian president said he wanted to use a "scientific approach" when analyzing the logistics of the Holocaust.

There are no gay people in Iran.

After a speech at Columbia University in September 2007, Ahmadinejad took questions from the crowd. One audience member asked why Iran executes gay citizens. He responded: “In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have it."

Israel will be eliminated.

Ahmadinejad frequently talks about how Israel should be eliminated or "wiped off the map."

At a 2006 conference held in Iran in support of Palestinians he said: "The existence of the Zionist regime is tantamount to an imposition of an unending and unrestrained threat so that none of the nations and Islamic countries of the region and beyond can feel secure from its threat."

Iranian women should marry young.

In 2004, Iran’s parliament changed the legal age of "acceptable marriage" from nine to 14, Reuters reported. This was widely accepted as an improvement to the former policy, and President Ahmadinejad’s got even more specific on his own recommendations.

"The best age for marriage is between 16 to 18 for girls and 19 to 21 for boys," he said.

Americans created HIV to loot African nations.

Ahmadinejad questioned why African countries suffer from so many deadly diseases. His conclusion? "It is obvious that the African countries must be plundered of their wealth and resources. The major powers and despots are behind the development of these diseases so they could then sell their drugs and medical equipment to the poor countries."

The reasons for 9/11.

In 2011, at perhaps his most noted United Nations appearance, Ahmadinejad said “the mysterious September 11 incident” was used as a precursor to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"By using their imperialistic media network which is under the influence of colonialism they threaten anyone who questions the Holocaust and the September 11 event with sanctions and military actions," he said at the meeting.

About 30 U.N. members, including those from the U.S., European Union, New Zealand, Australia, and Somalia, walked out after his remarks.

He even earned a parody.

And, of course, who could forget Saturday Night Live’s tribute to Ahmadinejad in Andy Samberg’s digital short “Iran So Far” featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine?

Related stories:

• Post-presidency, what's next for Iran's Ahmadinejad?
• Conservative pressure keeps Iran presidential campaign tame
• Iran election primer: After Ahmadinejad, who will lead?

Hassan Mousavi / Fars News via Reuters

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casts his ballot at his office in Tehran on Friday.

Millions of Iranians voted to choose a new president early Friday, choosing between six candidates to replace incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The first presidential poll since 2009 is unlikely to change Iran’s strategic ties with the West, but it may bring a change in leadership style.

Two-thirds of the country’s 75 million people are eligible to vote in the poll, which is open until 9:30 a.m. ET, although this can be extended if necessary.

Around 1.6 million of the eligible electors are first-time voters aged 16 or more.

Security has been tight and campaigning subdued compared to the euphoric rallies that preceded the last presidential election in 2009. 

Related:

• NBC News' Ali Arouzi answers questions about the Iranian election
• Only reformist candidate drops out of race to be Iran's president
• Full Iran coverage from NBC News

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Google said Wednesday that it has discovered and stopped a series of attempts to hack the accounts of tens of thousands of Iranian users in what the company believes is an attempt to influence the country's upcoming election.

"For almost three weeks, we have detected and disrupted multiple email-based phishing campaigns," Eric Grosse, the vice president for security engineering, wrote in a post on the company's blog.

The phishing campaigns are originating in Iran, targeting users there and representing a big surge in the region's hacking activity. They are apparently tied to Iran's presidential election Friday, Grosse said.

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"The timing and targeting of the campaigns suggest that the attacks are politically motivated," he said. He did not give further details.

The relatively routine phishing attempts direct users to phony account maintenance pages where they are asked to give their username and password, Grosse said.

Google Inc. said it used its Chrome browser to detect phishing efforts from what appears to be the same Iranian group in 2011.

Iranians will vote Friday to find a successor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who cannot run for a third term in office.

The Associated Press

Related stories:

• Conservative pressure keeps Iran presidential campaign tame
• Iran bars two leading candidates from presidential election
• Iran election primer: After Ahmadinejad, who will lead?
• Analysis: Iran's Ahmadinejad will fight 'like Scarface' for his political future

Ebrahim Noroozi / AP, file

Mohammad Reza Aref and his wife, Hamideh Moravej Farshi, wave to the audience after announcing his candidacy in the presidential election. He withdrew from the race on Tuesday.

This story was originally published on Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:24 AM EDT

Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA, file

Iranian presidential candidate Saeed Jalili (center) is surrounded by media as he leaves an election campaign event at Tehran University on Monday.

TEHRAN, Iran -- For a while it looked like Iran’s upcoming presidential elections would have come with a fair share of fireworks. After all, the country, which remains at odds with much of the world over its nuclear program and steadfast support for Syria’s President Bashar Assad, is set to decide who will succeed firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But so far, some of the more dramatic events in Iran’s 2013 presidential election have not even involved politics – over the weekend, three major players all suffered mechanical incidents within hours of each other.

Ahmadinejad's helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in the north of the country.

Supreme leader's office via AP

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech in a ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, shown in the picture in background, at his shrine just outside Tehran on Tuesday.

The airplane of Mohsen Rezaei, a former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, was forced to return to the airport in Tehran 20 minutes after takeoff because of mechanical faults.

And front-runner Saeed Jalili's convoy was hit by a truck; the candidate was not injured.

So by all appearances, Iran’s conservative establishment has succeeded in stopping the sorts of protests and riots that preceded Ahmadinejad’s reelection in 2009 before they even started.

Key to this relative calm was the powerful Guardian Council’s decision to bar former president and key player Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad protégé Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei from running.

Conservative forces set the tone for the entire race during a speech by Iran’s most powerful man, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He warned the field of eight candidates not to bow to Western pressure to halt the country’s nuclear program, and not to make concessions

“Some have the wrong analysis that by giving concessions to enemies, their anger towards Iran will be reduced; this is a mistake,” Khamenei said during an hour-long speech before tens of thousands of people at an annual ceremony to commemorate the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Candidates have also been instructed not to spend a lot of money on their campaigns.

Even the first round of debates was a far cry from the ones four years ago when candidates seemed to have declared open season on each other, which is thought to have fueled the subsequent violent street protests.

This time around, candidates were given two minutes to address complicated issues like the economy, or were shown pictures and asked to give one-word answers. Some candidates refused to participate in this style of questioning, saying it was an insult to them and the Iranian people.

So it is no surprise that Sayed Jalili, the country’s top nuclear negotiator who maintains deeply conservative credentials, remains a front-runner.

Hasan Rowhani, who is seen as a moderate politician who may be open to dialogue with the West, has complained about the pervasive presence of police, intelligence officers and members of the Basij paramilitary corps during the campaign.

"In the streets, universities, schools, organization – we must put an end to this security atmosphere,” he said at a recent rally.

Rowhani, a former nuclear negotiator himself, has aligned himself with reformist leaders. Local media is reporting that Rowhani and another reformist candidate, Mohammad-Reza Aref, are in negotiations to build a united front by choosing one candidate to represent both.

A number of people were arrested at Rowhani's rally after chanting slogans calling for the release of Mir Hossein Mousavi, an opposition leader and candidate in the disputed 2009 election who has been under house arrest for more than two years.

With less than a week to go, it looks like the only chance that centrist and reformist camps have is if they unite and inspire their voters to go to the polls. Otherwise, a hands-down victory for the hardliners looks certain.

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Related stories:

• Iran election primer: After Ahmadinejad, who will lead?
• Who's who in Iran's presidential race

Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) and presidential candidate Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei (R) flash the victory sign as Mashaie registers his candidacy at the Interior Ministry during the registration for Iran's upcoming presidential election on 14 June, in Tehran, Iran, on May 11.

DUBAI -- Iranian authorities have barred two potentially powerful and disruptive candidates from running in next month's presidential election, ensuring a contest largely among hardliners loyal to the clerical supreme leader.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a veteran companion of the Islamic Republic's founder, a former president and thought potentially sympathetic to reform, was denied a place on the ballot by the Guardian Council of clerics and jurists, state media said Tuesday.

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, a close aide to outgoing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was also barred. His hardline followers have jockeyed with those of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Ahmadinejad, who cannot run for a third consecutive term himself, said on Wednesday he would challenge the ban on Mashaie, calling him a "righteous person and beneficial for the country," according to the ISNA news agency.

"In my opinion there will be no problem with the Leader and I will take up this issue until the last moment with him," Ahmadinejad said. "I am hopeful the problem will be solved."

Supreme leader's website via EPA

A handout picture made available by Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's official website shows Ayatollah Khamenei delivering his Persian New Year message to the nation in Tehran, Iran, 20 March 2013.

Mashaie was quoted by Fars news agency as saying he considered his disqualification "unjust and I will pursue a resolution to it via the supreme leader."

His campaign office issued a statement calling for restraint by his followers.

"We ask all grassroots and spontaneous staff and supporters of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie to stay calm and organize their activities so that they do not provide the means for malice by enemies of the Islamic Revolution," it said.

But Eshaq Jahangiri, head of Rafsanjani's campaign, was quoted by INSA on Wednesday as saying the veteran politician would not object to the Guardian Council's decision.

"Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani and his campaign as a whole entered the field on the basis of following the rule of law and morals, and will continue in this way as well," Jahangiri said.

Two of Rafsanjani's children have recently been imprisoned.

Most of the remaining eight men on the ballot for the first round on June 14 are seen as loyalists to Khamenei, who seems determined to avoid a repeat of the popular unrest that followed Ahmadinejad's re-election in 2009.

The election comes at a time when Iran is engaged in bitter economic, diplomatic and military confrontations with the West, Israel and its Arab neighbors.

There is no clear frontrunner in a field that now includes Saeed Jalili, the chief negotiator for Iran's controversial nuclear program, Ali Akbar Velayati, Khamenei's foreign policy adviser, and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the mayor of Tehran.

With economic hardships increasing as a result of Western sanctions over the nuclear dispute, some Iranians have favored a change of tack and there is still substantial public support for reformist leaders who disputed their electoral defeat four years ago and are now under house arrest.

Khamenei could over-rule the Guardian Council and reinstate candidates but analysts said the moves at this stage, especially against Rafsanjani, appeared designed to nip protest in the bud.

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Four years ago, Ahmadinejad was declared outright winner in the first round against three other candidates including the reformist Mirhossein Mousavi, sparking weeks of protests. Mousavi and another leader of the liberal "Green Movement," Mehdi Karoubi, have been under house arrest for over two years.

The other five approved candidates on the Interior Ministry list for this year’s election were: Mohsen Rezaie, a former head of the Revolutionary Guards; Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, another close aide to Khamenei; Hassan Rohani, a former nuclear negotiator close to Rafsanjani; Mohammad Gharazi, a former telecommunications minister; and Mohammad Reza Aref, the only clear reformist left on the list.

"All of the approved candidates are either loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei or are mostly irrelevant," said Alireza Nader, an analyst at RAND Corporation. "Khamenei may still overturn the decision, but Rafsanjani's disqualification shows that Khamenei is determined to wield all power. This appears to be a presidential selection rather than an election."

Related:

• Iran election primer: After Ahmadinejad, who will lead?
• Analysis: Iran's Ahmadinejad will fight 'like Scarface' for his political future
• Who's who in Iran's presidential race

Iran’s June 14 elections will showcase the country’s political system, which, not well understood by many in the West, combines strong Islamic theocracy with elements of democracy. A network of unelected institutions controlled by the powerful supreme leader is countered by a president and parliament elected by the people.

Here's a guide to Iran's labyrinthine governmental operations and a glimpse at some of the men hoping to occupy the top elected office in the country.

According Iran's constitution, the most powerful political office in the Islamic Republic is that of the supreme leader. Since its inception after the 1979 revolution that overthrew the monarchy, two men have occupied the role – the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The supreme leader appoints the head of the judiciary, six out of 12 members of the powerful Guardian Council, the armed forces’ commanders, the head of the country’s radio and television and Friday prayer leaders, who instruct the faithful in the performance of the Friday prayer in Iran. He also confirms the president's election.

Supreme leader's website via EPA

Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Under the constitution, the president is the second-most-important authority after the supreme leader. The president – currently Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – is elected for a four-year term by popular vote, and can serve no more than two consecutive terms. After a term away he can run for president again.

The president heads the executive branch of government, and is responsible for ensuring the constitution is implemented. 

Powerful clerical councils ultimately answer to the supreme leader.  The supreme leader controls the armed forces and makes most of the decisions regarding security, defense and major foreign policy.

The president appoints and supervises ministers, coordinates government decisions, and selects government policies to be placed before the legislature, but ultimately his power is curtailed by the clerical bodies.

All presidential hopefuls have to be vetted by the Guardian Council, the most influential body in Iran. The group, which consists of six theologians appointed by the supreme leader and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament, also has the authority to veto any bill passed by parliament, among other legislative and judicial powers.

An indication of the power held by the clerics and the supreme leader came on Friday when the head of the Guardian Council said it may disqualify presidential candidates who supported full relations with the United States, according to The Associated Press.

The contenders 

Three different tiers of the Iranian establishment appear to be competing against each other in the current elections.  The Guardian Council will release a list of approved candidates – culled from almost 700 who registered – to the Ministry of Interior by May 21.  The following list includes those thought to be most likely to make it onto the shortlist.

EPA, AP file

Candidates for Iran's upcoming presidential election: (from left) Former Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Velayati; Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf; speaker of parliament Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel; chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.

Supreme leader’s favorites
The first camp of contenders consists of the supreme leader’s inner circle and others perceived to be loyal to him.

• Ali-Akbar Velayati, currently the supreme leader’s adviser on international affairs, served as foreign minister under several presidents.  He received a pediatrics degree from Johns Hopkins in 1974. Some observers believe that he lacks charisma when compared with others who are running.
• Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Tehran mayor, is a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War. Since he became mayor in 2005, he has embarked on a series of ambitious civic projects that added to his popularity. He may be seen as too independent by conservative clerics.
• Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, the speaker of parliament, is very much part of the supreme leader’s inner circle – his daughter is married to the supreme leader’s son. But its not clear how much popular support he has.
• Saeed Jalili is Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator. His loyalty to the supreme leader appears unwavering. He also has had substantial dealings with the West, granting occasional interviews and interacting with international counterparts.  

Ahmadinejad’s man
President Ahmadinejad – who has been at odds with the clerical establishment shortly after the disputed elections in 2009 – has put all his political eggs in one controversial basket, the divisive Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei. The two men have been very close for the last 30 years, and Mashaei's daughter married Ahmadinejad's oldest son in 2008.  

Conservative leaders in Iran have gone so far as branding Mashaei the head of deviant current within the government, a heretic and a foreign spy. Despite a chorus of disapproval for powerful members of the establishment Ahmadinejad has stayed loyal to him.

Ebrahim Noroozi / AP

Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani waves to media as he registers his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday, May 11.

The ex-president, turned 'outsider'
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani – popularly nicknamed ‘The Shark’ because of his inability to grow a beard – is one of the great political survivors of the Islamic Republic.  

Related: Last-minute entry transforms Iranian race

Rafsanjani was the de facto commander-in-chief of the military during the Iran–Iraq War, which raged from 1980 to 1988. He was widely credited with the reconstruction of the country after the devastating conflict.  

Rafsanjani’s involvement with the revolutionary government came early and he became a cleric at the age of 14.  He was elected chairman of the Iranian parliament in 1980 and served until 1989. He is also known as a king-maker and was instrumental in the appointment of Ali Khamenei as supreme leader. 

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Rafsanjani served as president of Iran from 1989 to 1997, and 2005 he ran for a third term in office.  He ultimately lost to Ahmadinejad in the run-off round.

Rafsanjani advocates a free-market economy and is popular with the upper-middle class, who think he may be able to revive the economy.

He fell out of favor with the supreme leader because of his tacit support of the “Green Movement” protest that shook the country and provoked a violent crackdown in 2009. 

Related:

Who's who in Iran's presidential race

Western diplomat on Iran talks: Sides still 'a long way apart'

The leading candidates for Iran's June 14 presidential election, for which registration closed on Saturday.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani: The centrist Rafsanjani, an important figure since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, was president from 1989 to 1997. He earned the ire of hardliners after he sided with reformists during the unrest that followed the disputed 2009 election, and has seen two of his children jailed in recent months. 

Last-minute entry rattles Iranian race

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie: Former chief-of-staff to outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he is viewed with intense suspicion by conservatives who say he leads a "deviant current" within Iranian politics that seeks to sideline the ruling clerics. They consider Mashaie and Ahmadinejad to be right-wing populists. 

Saeed Jalili: Iran's nuclear negotiator since 2007 is a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war and seen as a hardline conservative close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

Hassan Rohani: A moderate Muslim cleric, he also served as Iran's nuclear negotiator, presiding over talks with Britain, France and Germany that saw Tehran agree to suspend uranium enrichment-related activities between 2003 and 2005. He is seen as close to Rafsanjani. 

Ali Akbar Velayati: Served as foreign minister from 1981 to 1997 and advises Khamenei on foreign policy matters. He is seen as a traditional conservative, with ties both to 'principlist' factions - loyal to the supreme leader - and to Rafsanjani's camp. 

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf: A former police chief, he is the current mayor of Tehran and has a reputation as a competent, charismatic manager who could attract Iran's sizeable youth vote. He is viewed as a pragmatic conservative. 

Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel: A former parliament speaker and relative of Khamenei by marriage, he is a close adviser to the Supreme Leader. 

Mohsen Rezaie: The veteran politician and former Revolutionary Guards commander ran in 2009 against Ahmadinejad and lost. He is the secretary of Iran's Expediency Council, which advises Khamenei.

Rehan Khan / EPA

People look over the scene of a bomb blast near a polling station in Karachi, Pakistan, on Saturday.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistanis voted in a landmark test of democracy on Saturday and were quickly reminded of the militant violence that plagues the country, with election-related bombings in several cities.

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An attack on the office of the Awami National Party (ANP) in the commercial capital, Karachi, killed 10 people and wounded 30, followed by another blast minutes later.

An explosion destroyed an ANP office in the northwest. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Television channels also reported an explosion in the city of Peshawar.

Pakistan's Taliban, who are close to al Qaeda, have killed over 110 people in election-related violence since April. The group, which is fighting to topple the U.S.-backed government, regards the elections as un-Islamic.

The election will bring the first transition between civilian governments in a country ruled by the military for more than half of its turbulent history.

The people hope the polls will deliver change and ease frustrations with the Taliban, a feeble economy, widespread corruption, chronic power cuts and crumbling infrastructure.

"The problems facing the new government will be immense, and this may be the last chance that the country's existing elites have to solve them," said Anatol Lieven, a professor at King's College, London, and author of a book on Pakistan.

"If the lives of ordinary Pakistanis are not significantly improved over the next five years, a return to authoritarian solutions remains a possibility," Lieven wrote in a column in the Financial Times.

Disenchantment with the two mainstream parties appeared this week to have brought a late surge of support for former cricket star Imran Khan, who could end up holding the balance of power.

Khan, 60, is in a hospital after injuring himself in a fall at a party rally, which may also win him sympathy votes.

With no clear-cut winner, weeks of haggling to form a coalition will follow, which would raise the risk that the government is undermined by instability.

That would only make it more difficult to reverse the disgust with politicians felt among the country's 180 million people and drive through the reforms needed to revive its near-failed economy.

Power cuts can last more than 10 hours a day in some places, crippling key industries like textiles, and a new International Monetary Fund bailout may be needed soon.

The Taliban have focused their anger on secular-leaning parties like the outgoing coalition led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the ANP. Candidates, fearful of being assassinated, have avoided open campaigning.

The army stayed out of politics during the five years of the last government, but it still sets the nuclear-armed country's foreign and security policy and will steer the thorny relationship with Washington as NATO troops withdraw from neighboring Afghanistan next year.

The party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif looks set to win the most seats in the one-day vote. But Khan could deprive Sharif of a majority and dash his hopes for a return to power 14 years after he was ousted in a military coup, jailed and later exiled.

Pakistan's best-known sportsman, who led a playboy lifestyle in his younger days, Khan is seen by many as a refreshing change from the dynastic politicians who long relied on a patronage system to win votes and are often accused of corruption.

Related:

• The ex-cricket star vs. the comeback kid: Who will be nuclear-armed Pakistan's next leader?
• Son of former Pakistan PM kidnapped at gunpoint during election rally
• Prosecutor probing Pakistan ex-PM's assassination slain in 'targeted killing'

A former playboy cricketer and an ex-prime minister who was deposed by a military coup and then exiled will square off in a historic general election this weekend as Pakistan elects a new leader.

When Pakistanis head to the polls on Saturday, it will mark the first time in the country's 65-year history that a legislature has completed its term, paving the way for the possibility of a peaceful transition of power from one civilian government to the next.

The nuclear-armed country has been ruled by the military for half its history. Secretary of State John Kerry has met Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani twice in the last five weeks, underlining how crucial Washington views the relationship. However, the 2011 raid to kill Osama bin Laden and U.S. drone strikes targeting militants have damaged ties.

Of the nation's 90 million potential voters, 40 million could be voting for the first time. The general election comes as the country battles domestic insurgencies, a floundering economy, and unpredictability across the border in Afghanistan. 

In a campaign punctuated by violence -- including the gunpoint kidnapping of a leading politician's son at a political rally on Thursday -- uncertainty still prevails. Here is a look at the key players in this weekend's contest.

TOPPLED, EXILED, RESURRECTED? Nawaz Sharif

Once considered a protege of the country's powerful army, Sharif served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister in the 1990s before his relationship with the military deteriorated. He was ousted in a coup and replaced by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999, and exiled to Saudi Arabia.

Polls suggest he could make a comeback in a very close and still shifting contest.

Known to be a religious conservative personally, Sharif's first term in office was marked by efforts to increase the role of Islam in government, including trying to introduce Shariah law through parliament.

Pakistan became a nuclear state during his second term in office. Sharif also built a reputation for launching large-scale, economic initiatives to spur development, including power, transportation, and technology projects.

Aamir Qureshi / AFP/ Getty Images

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif waves to supporters during an election campaign meeting in Rawalpindi on Tuesday

Now the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, the 63-year-old finds his base of support in the country's largest, most populous province of Punjab. 

Shamila Chaudhary, former director for Pakistan and Afghanistan at the White House National Security Council, said Sharif was likely to need to build a coalition government, which would help to define his policies.

"When Sharif was last in power, he engaged with the United States at a time when the bilateral relationship was not so heavily defined by terrorism and the war in Afghanistan," said Chaudhary, who is now a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group. "His hands will be tied in how much he can pursue on security cooperation without it being at the expense of the support he will need in parliament to sustain his coalition, if he wins."

Reuters noted that Sharif "has been accused of failing to act against militant groups which have a breeding ground in Punjab" and that is "one of the few major politicians not on the hit-list of Taliban insurgents who have vowed to disrupt the elections."

The Associated Press added:

Sharif's party controlled the government of Pakistan's largest province, Punjab, in 2011 when it turned down more than $100 million in U.S. aid following the raid that killed bin Laden. 

It quoted Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., as saying it appeared unlikely that Sharif would give up the more than $1 billion in American aid Pakistan receives annually if he came to power.

THE SPORTS LEGEND: Imran Khan

The former world-class cricketer and philanthropist has made a 16-year journey to come as close as he's ever been to the top office.

Khan is riding a wave of support for his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), or Movement for Justice party, particularly among Pakistan's younger voters.

Rehan Khan / EPA

Former cricket star Imran Khan (center) is mobbed by supporters at a rally in Karachi, Pakistan, on Tuesday.

Dismissed in previous campaigns as a non-contender, the charismatic Khan has this time managed to translate his national popularity into support at the polls by selling himself as the anti-establishment man. He's juggled a sometimes-extremist message to appeal to Pakistan's conservative base with a social media campaign to mobilize much of the country's disenfranchised youth.

However, Khan's ideas -- which include the cessation of all hostilities with militants and a halt to CIA drone attacks  -- have earned him the teasing but telling moniker "Taliban Khan" from members of the country's Westernized elite.

A fiery and frenetic campaigner, Khan tumbled from a platform at a rally in Lahore this week, surviving with a few fractures. However, he was forced to suspend his final campaign events.

Without a traditional, regional base of support, as the other parties have, the 60-year-old Khan has been forced to carve out inroads into opposition territory. He hopes that will translate into enough votes to remain influential in a possible coalition government.

A survey released on Wednesday showed 24.98 percent of voters nationally planned to vote for Khan's party, just a whisker behind Sharif's PML-N.

Khan began his campaign by refusing to join any coalition, then softened his stance to say he'd consider coalitions with smaller parties. His position could evolve again in the coming days.

"Khan has made himself a force to be reckoned with, he can't be dismissed as he was in the past," Chaudhary said. "They [his party] may not get that many seats, but they've made the PML-N and PPP (Pakistan People's Party) worried about their chances."

Khan, who helped Pakistan win the cricket World Cup in 1992, has vowed to crack down on corruption.

His party's manifesto says "Pakistan will endeavor to have a constructive relationship with the U.S. based on Pakistan's sovereign national interests and international law, not on aid dependency." 

THE POTENTIAL KINGMAKER: Asif Ali Zardari

The widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto inherited her family's political legacy and base of support in the southern province of Sindh.

He led the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) party to power after his wife's assassination in 2007 and became the president of Pakistan.

Vahid Salemi / AP

Asif Ali Zardari

The party's government made history as the first to complete a five-year term in office, but was marred by accusations of ineptitude and corruption as the country spiraled into an energy shortage, economic crisis, and security strife.

Zardari fought off several attempts to unsettle or unseat him, led in part by the country's Supreme Court which sought to revive old corruption charges. His government, and party, suffered several high-level shake-ups as a result, but Zardari managed to survive.

It is Zardari's skill as a shrewd politician and his ability to cut deals with other parties that some believe could make him, and his party, key influencers in forming the next government of Pakistan, even if they don't win a majority.

"The bottom line is, you can't actually discount the PPP," Chaudhary said. "People think they're done, they're unpopular, they did a bad job, but they'll have a fair amount of influence because of their relationship with other parties."

The Associated Press noted: 

Zardari and the PPP have always struggled with a domestic perception that they are American stooges — an unpopular position in a country where anti-American sentiment is widespread. The view from Washington, though, has been that Pakistan is not doing enough to combat militancy within its borders. 

CONNECTORS & DISRUPTORS:

In a tight election where the margin of victory may be slim, the weeks that follow the vote will be the most important, as party leaders negotiate to form a functioning coalition government.

Reuters explained:

Voters will elect 272 members of the National Assembly and to win a simple majority, a party would have to take 137 seats. 

However, the election is complicated by the fact that a further 70 seats, most reserved for women and members of non- Muslim minorities, are allocated to parties on the basis of their performance in the contested constituencies. To have a majority of the total of 342, a party would need 172. 

In a coalition scenario, second-tier operators like Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (leader of the PML(Q) party) and Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman (leader of the JUI(F) party) could become key dealmakers and both have histories of working with players along the entire political spectrum to maintain political relevancy.

Smaller parties like the MQM, led by leader-in-exile Altaf Hussain, and the ANP, headed by Pashtun leader Asfandyar Wali, have been relentlessly targeted by the Pakistani Taliban, and could throw off the balance of power by boycotting the elections or the political dealmaking that follows as a form of protest.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Slideshow: Pakistan: A nation in turmoil

Asif Hassan / AFP - Getty Images

Images of daily life, political pursuits, religious rites and deadly violence.

Launch slideshow

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• Full Pakistan coverage from NBC News

This story was originally published on Fri May 10, 2013 3:38 AM EDT