TEHRAN: Iran started counting ballots on Saturday after a vote for parliament and a key clerical physique, with native media estimating a low turnout and conservatives anticipated to dominate.
Friday’s elections had been the primary since widespread protests triggered by the September 2022 loss of life in police custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, an Iranian Kurd. She had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic republic’s strict costume code for ladies.
Iran has additionally been badly affected by worldwide sanctions which have led to an financial disaster for the reason that final elections in 2020.
State TV reported early Saturday the “begin of vote counting” after polling stations closed at midnight. Voting hours had been prolonged a number of occasions throughout the day, the official IRNA information company reported.
A document determine of 15,200 hopefuls had been competing for seats within the 290-member parliament. One other 144 candidates sought a spot within the 88-member Meeting of Consultants, which is completely made up of male Islamic students.
The Meeting selects or, if obligatory, dismisses Iran’s supreme chief. Many potential candidates for the chamber had been disqualified.
Native Fars information company estimated turnout at “greater than 40 %”, amongst 61 million eligible voters.
President Ebrahim Raisi welcomed the voters’ “enthusiastic” participation as “one other historic failure to (Iran’s) enemies,” based on IRNA.
Iran considers america, its Western allies and Israel enemies of the state and accuses them of looking for to intervene in its inner affairs.
Reformist every day Ham Mihan ran an opinion piece titled “The Silent Majority”, which stated turnout was “estimated to be decrease than” in earlier elections.
Iran’s 2020 parliament was elected throughout the Covid pandemic with a turnout of 42.57 % — the bottom for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution.
A state TV ballot had discovered greater than half of respondents had been detached about this yr’s elections.
Candidates for parliament are vetted by a physique, the Guardian Council, whose members are decided by the supreme chief.
The current parliament is dominated by conservatives and ultra-conservatives, and analysts anticipated an identical make-up within the new meeting.
Regardless of Supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s attraction for folks to forged ballots, many Iranians had been cut up on whether or not or not to take action.
Former reformist president Mohammad Khatami was amongst individuals who averted the ballot, based on a coalition of events referred to as the Reform Entrance.
In February the conservative Javan every day quoted Khatami as saying Iran is “very removed from free and aggressive elections.”
Friday’s elections had been the primary since widespread protests triggered by the September 2022 loss of life in police custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, an Iranian Kurd. She had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic republic’s strict costume code for ladies.
Iran has additionally been badly affected by worldwide sanctions which have led to an financial disaster for the reason that final elections in 2020.
State TV reported early Saturday the “begin of vote counting” after polling stations closed at midnight. Voting hours had been prolonged a number of occasions throughout the day, the official IRNA information company reported.
A document determine of 15,200 hopefuls had been competing for seats within the 290-member parliament. One other 144 candidates sought a spot within the 88-member Meeting of Consultants, which is completely made up of male Islamic students.
The Meeting selects or, if obligatory, dismisses Iran’s supreme chief. Many potential candidates for the chamber had been disqualified.
Native Fars information company estimated turnout at “greater than 40 %”, amongst 61 million eligible voters.
President Ebrahim Raisi welcomed the voters’ “enthusiastic” participation as “one other historic failure to (Iran’s) enemies,” based on IRNA.
Iran considers america, its Western allies and Israel enemies of the state and accuses them of looking for to intervene in its inner affairs.
Reformist every day Ham Mihan ran an opinion piece titled “The Silent Majority”, which stated turnout was “estimated to be decrease than” in earlier elections.
Iran’s 2020 parliament was elected throughout the Covid pandemic with a turnout of 42.57 % — the bottom for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution.
A state TV ballot had discovered greater than half of respondents had been detached about this yr’s elections.
Candidates for parliament are vetted by a physique, the Guardian Council, whose members are decided by the supreme chief.
The current parliament is dominated by conservatives and ultra-conservatives, and analysts anticipated an identical make-up within the new meeting.
Regardless of Supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s attraction for folks to forged ballots, many Iranians had been cut up on whether or not or not to take action.
Former reformist president Mohammad Khatami was amongst individuals who averted the ballot, based on a coalition of events referred to as the Reform Entrance.
In February the conservative Javan every day quoted Khatami as saying Iran is “very removed from free and aggressive elections.”
