Iranian Parliamentary Elections Kick off
Iranians began voting in crucial elections to choose members of Parliament and the Assembly of Experts. Polls opened at 8:00 local time (0430 GMT) and are slated to close at 18:00 (1430 GMT) on Friday, but voting hours could be extended if the need arises amid expectations of a high turnout. In the opening hour of the voting, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei cast his ballots at a polling station in downtown Tehran, “Armenpress” reports, citing the Iranian “Press TV” agency.
Ayatollah Khamenei called on all Iranians to participate in the elections, saying “voting is both a right and a duty.”
“Anybody who loves Iran, anybody who loves the Islamic Republic and national dignity, grandeur and glory is advised to participate in the elections,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei advised voters to participate “in this great task with the intention of generating additional dignity and full independence for the country.”
“Our enemies have their covetous eyes trained on Iran. People are advised to vote with discretion and foresight and disappoint the enemies,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Around 55 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the elections which are the first since Iran clinched a landmark nuclear agreement.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was also among the first officials to cast his ballots at the Interior Ministry in Tehran.
Addressing Iranians, Rouhani congratulated the nation on its high turnout even in the early hours of voting, saying reports show full security prevailing at polling stations across the country.
As many as 4,844 candidates, including about 500 women, are competing for a place in Parliament, head of the Interior Ministry’s election headquarters Mohammad Hossein Moqimi said on Thursday.
In the capital Tehran, some 1,000 candidates compete for 30 parliamentary seats. Five seats also go to the religious minorities recognized in the Iranian Constitution, namely Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians.
In the simultaneous vote on Friday, Iranians will also select 88 senior religious figures of the Assembly of Experts, which is tasked with appointing the Leader and monitoring his performance.
