AT least 15,200 candidates will compete for a four-year term in Iran’s 290-seat chamber in the upcoming parliamentary elections on Friday, the 1st of March.
Voters will also select new members of the Assembly of Experts, a key body that consists of 88 clerics who are in charge of appointing and monitoring the country’s supreme leader as well as choosing his successor.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, reiterated his call for the people to participate in the elections on Friday and emphasized that voting is crucial for national security.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addressed the strategies imposed by Iran’s adversaries to create tensions and reduce voter turnout as he expressed hope for massive participation from the public.
Candidates started their campaign last week as they strived to gain favor from more than 60 million eligible voters in Iran. The new parliament will convene in May.
Iran’s Supreme Leader made the call for participation after an opinion poll released this week showed only 38.5 percent of respondents were willing to vote in the parliamentary elections.
