Iranians aregoing to the polls on Friday to votein two crucial elections after a week of campaigning which, by and large, went down to brass tacks.
Votingfor the 290-seat Parliament (Majlis) and the 88-member Assembly of Experts will be held simultaneously. Some 55 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the two elections.
As many as 6,300 candidates, including 586 women, are competing for a place in the Parliament, while 161 others are running for the Assembly of Experts.
The week-long campaigns of the candidates officially ended at 8 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) on Thursday, 24 hours before the beginning of the votes.
A large number of Iranian religious and political figures have called for a high turnout in the polls.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
Iranian women walk past campaign posters bearing portraits of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Tehran, Feb. 21, 2016. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]Ahead of the voting, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned against enemy plotsto infiltrate the elections, calling on the nation to remain vigilant.
The nation neither wants a pro-government parliament nor an anti-government one, Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that Iranians want a strong parliament that fulfills its duties and is not intimidated into submission to the United States.
Irans President Hassan Rouhanitexted mobile phone users urging them to vote, saying participation was needed "to build the future of the country with plenty of hope."
What are the stakes?
In their campaigns, candidates zeroed in on economic topics, including unemployment, economic growth, and recession.The official unemployment rate stands at 10 percent and inflation hovers around 15 percent.
Members of Parliament generally break into two main blocs,those who supporta reformistagenda and those who call themselves principlists.
Reformists are vying for seatsunder the leadership of Mohammed Reza Aref, a former vice president, while the main principlist faction in the elections is headed by Gholamali Hadad Adel, a former parliament speaker.
Any new legislation must pass through the Parliament; hence, the elections matter to the president to press ahead with hisplans.
President Rouhani is fresh from a landmark nuclear agreement which he hopes to use to bring economy out of a nagging stagflation.Hemanaged to pull enough support from the Parliament to push forward the nuclear deal.
Rouhani led a delegation of 120 key traders and officials to Europe, culminating in the signing of a series of business deals worth about $40 billion.
The impact of the deal, however, has yet to be felt on the streets. Moreover, critics of the government are worried.
"We are worried about the numerous (Western) companies that are constantly travelling to Iran since the nuclear agreement, Hadad Adel said on Wednesday.
"This country should not turn into a market for the consumer goods of alien forces.
Assembly of Experts
President Rouhani is alsois seeking re-electionin the Assembly of Experts, a clerical body which is tasked with monitoring the performance of and appointing the Leader.
Members of the Assembly serve eight-year terms whileMPs are electedevery four years.
By Press TV
