TEHRAN (News Desk) – About 55 million Iranian voters are participating in a day-long polling process to elect new members of Parliament and the Assembly of Experts, media reports suggested.
According to Iran’s election authorities 52,000 polling station have been established for polling while over 6,200 candidates, including 586 women, are in the race for 290 seats Parliament. In Tehran alone about 1,000 candidates are contesting for 30 seats.
Supreme Leader Ayotullah Khamnei also cast his vote in early hours on Friday. In a brief statement to media, he urged citizens to participate in the elections actively and choose their representatives wisely.
The parliamentary elections are first after historic nuclear deal between Iran and world powers which restricted Tehran from making a nuclear bomb against reversal of economic sanctions slapped by western countries. The elections are being considered as a litmus test of public response to the nuclear deal as well.
The members elected under parliamentary elections will hold their positions for a tenure of four years while members the the Assembly of Experts, which will also include clerics, will stay in power for eight years.
