Some 12,000 Sign Up for Parliamentary Elections
TEHRAN (Dispatches) – A number of key figures on Saturday signed up for parliamentary elections in Iran in February as an official deadline for submitting nomination papers ended after a week.
Former mayor of Tehran Muhammad Baqer Qalibaf was the most high-profile figure who put his name down for the vote planned for late February.
People close to former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were also among those appearing at a registration office set up by Iran’s Interior Ministry in downtown Tehran.
Registrations began on Sunday in all cities and towns across Iran as officials began preparations for the key public votes to pick up 290 members of the parliament.
Qalibaf, who was Tehran’s mayor until he ran as a candidate in the 2015 presidential election, is seen by many as the top chance to win a seat from Tehran and field himself for the post of the speaker.
Current parliament speaker Ali Larijani said earlier this month that he would not contest the after serving for three terms as a lawmaker representing the central holy city of Qom.
The Tasnim news agency said a total of 11,408 people had filed nominations for the votes as of 14:00 local time Saturday. More than a fourth of those were people seeking to win a seat in Tehran, where 35 seats up for grabs.
The Interior Ministry said registration offices would close at 18:00, rejecting reports that there would be an extension. That meant Ahmadinejad, who served as Iran’s president between 2005 and 2013, would not run in the contest.
All those registered will go through a vetting process by Iran’s Guardian Council. A final list of candidates is due on January 11 while polls will open on February 21.
Former mayor of Tehran Muhammad Baqer Qalibaf was the most high-profile figure who put his name down for the vote planned for late February.
People close to former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were also among those appearing at a registration office set up by Iran’s Interior Ministry in downtown Tehran.
Registrations began on Sunday in all cities and towns across Iran as officials began preparations for the key public votes to pick up 290 members of the parliament.
Qalibaf, who was Tehran’s mayor until he ran as a candidate in the 2015 presidential election, is seen by many as the top chance to win a seat from Tehran and field himself for the post of the speaker.
Current parliament speaker Ali Larijani said earlier this month that he would not contest the after serving for three terms as a lawmaker representing the central holy city of Qom.
The Tasnim news agency said a total of 11,408 people had filed nominations for the votes as of 14:00 local time Saturday. More than a fourth of those were people seeking to win a seat in Tehran, where 35 seats up for grabs.
The Interior Ministry said registration offices would close at 18:00, rejecting reports that there would be an extension. That meant Ahmadinejad, who served as Iran’s president between 2005 and 2013, would not run in the contest.
All those registered will go through a vetting process by Iran’s Guardian Council. A final list of candidates is due on January 11 while polls will open on February 21.