61 million Iranians are entitled to participate in the elections to choose the Shura Council and the Leadership Council of Experts (Reuters)
Voters in Iran - the day after tomorrow, Friday - will go to the polls to choose members of the Shura Council and the Leadership Council of Experts, in a vote that is expected to strengthen the presence of conservatives in power.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, will be the first to cast his vote at eight in the morning (4:30 GMT) in the elections in which more than 61 million Iranians are entitled to participate, and which will take place through about 59,000 polling centers distributed across various regions in Iran.
Khamenei considered that participating in the elections is obligatory for everyone, and called on “influential figures” to encourage citizens to vote. He said, “Whenever the elections witness a rush, national strength and national security are guaranteed.”
The elections are taking place amidst tension prevailing in the region as a result of the Israeli war on Gaza, and are also taking place amid growing dissatisfaction in Iran regarding the high cost of living and an inflation rate approaching 50%.
Attention will focus on participation rates, after the 2020 legislative elections witnessed the lowest participation rate since the declaration of the Islamic Republic in 1979, as only 42.57% of voters cast their votes during the voting that took place at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.
Iranians elect the 290 members of the Shura Council for four-year terms in a single-round ballot.
They also choose the members of the Leadership Council of Experts, a body composed of 88 members of the clergy elected for a term of 8 years by direct universal suffrage, which in turn selects the new Supreme Leader, supervises his work, and has the power to dismiss him.
The Guardian Council approved a record number of 15,200 candidates for the legislative elections, and in return rejected the nominations of more than 30,000 others, including well-known figures, most notably former President Hassan Rouhani (2013-2021), whose nomination for the Assembly of Experts was invalidated even though he is a member of it. 24 years ago.
The leader of the reformist movement, Mohammad Khatami, former president (1997-2005), expressed his disappointment that Iran is “very far from free and competitive elections.”
However, the two former presidents did not make calls to boycott the elections, unlike opponents abroad who consider any participation as a bargain with the authorities.
It is expected that these elections will confirm the decline of the reformist camp and strengthen the control of the conservatives, who have held all powers since the election of Ibrahim Raisi as president in 2021.
The election results will reveal the size of each of the different movements in the conservative camp, whether in Parliament or in the Leadership Assembly, at a time when the possibility of succeeding the Supreme Leader, who will turn 85 next April, is raised.
Source: Agencies