Iran’s religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opened the elections in Iran under the strictest security precautions. The head of state cast his votes for the parliamentary election and the expert council in the center of the capital Tehran. These are the first elections in Iran since the mass protests following the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
More on the topic: Election in Iran
Election in Iran: More repressive than ever before
“The eyes of the world‘s people and politicians are on Iran,” Khamenei said after the vote. “Both friends and enemies,” he added.
Numerous candidates were excluded before the election
Around 61 million people are called to elect a new parliament and the Council of Experts, an influential body of Islamic clerics. Numerous critical candidates were excluded before the elections by the so-called Guardian Council. The election is therefore expected to consolidate the power of the ruling conservatives in parliament.
The population is disillusioned by failed reform attempts in recent decades. In recent weeks there have been calls for an election boycott, including from the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi.
According to a state television poll, more than half of citizens were indifferent to the election. In the parliamentary election in 2020, voter turnout was 42.57 percent. This was the lowest figure since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
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Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time (5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Central European Time) with the possibility of extension. The first election results were already expected for Saturday. Around 15,000 candidates applied for a seat in the 290-seat parliament. The term of office is four years. Five seats are reserved for religious minorities.
Iran’s religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opened the elections in Iran under the strictest security precautions. The head of state cast his votes for the parliamentary election and the expert council in the center of the capital Tehran. These are the first elections in Iran since the mass protests following the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
“The eyes of the world‘s people and politicians are on Iran,” Khamenei said after the vote. “Both friends and enemies,” he added.