Tasnim � Senior Iranian cleric Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi stressed the need for all the people of the country to participate in the upcoming presidential elections due to be held later in May.





�I would invite all the dear people of the Islamic Iran� to massively take part in the upcoming polls, Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, who is a Marja� (source of emulation) said in a letter addressed to his followers on Friday.

The cleric further called on the people to vote for a candidate whose religious qualifications have been proved to them.

The remarks came as applicants seeking candidacy for the post of president began to sign up at Iran�s Interior Ministry in Tehran on Tuesday. The registration process will last for five days.

After the registration period ends, the Guardian Council will have five days for vetting process to assess the qualification of the applicants.

The final list of the candidates will be released afterwards, and they will have 20 days for electoral campaigns, before the election day on May 19.

The number of eligible voters in the upcoming election is estimated to be around 1.5 million higher than the 50.5 million in the previous round four years ago.

In comments on the occasion of the new Iranian year on March 21, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the world is astonished by Iran�s religious democracy, which is based upon election, and called on all eligible voters to participate in the upcoming elections.

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that he never intervenes in the election, unless when somebody would seek to confront the result of people�s vote.