Iranians begin votingin crucial elections to choose members of Parliament (Majlis) andthe Assembly of Experts.
Polls opened at 8:00 local time (0430 GMT) and are slated to close at 18:00 (1430 GMT) on Friday, but voting hours could be extended if the need arises amid expectations of ahigh turnout.
In the opening hourof the voting,Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei cast his ballots ata polling stationin downtown Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei called on all Iranians to participate in the elections, saying voting is both a right and a duty.
Anybodywho loves Iran, anybodywho loves the Islamic Republic and national dignity, grandeur and glory is advised to participate in the elections, the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei advised voters to participate in this great task with the intention of generating additional dignityand full independence for the country.
Ourenemies have their covetous eyes trained on Iran. People are advised to vote with discretion and foresight and disappoint the enemies, Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Around 55 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the elections which are the first since Iran clinched a landmark nuclear agreement.
Elections are always important but in certain junctures they have more importance, Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was also among the first officials to cast his ballots at the Interior Ministry in Tehran.
Addressing Iranians, Rouhani congratulated the nation on itshigh turnout even inthe early hours of voting, saying reports show full security prevailing at polling stations across the country.
He said the elections are a symbol of Irans independence and national sovereignty, adding that after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nationcut the hands of enemies that were interfering in the countrys domestic affairs and took over itsown destiny.
The Iranian chief executive further said the active political participation of people means trust in the establishment, saying the government will spare no efforts to protect peoples vote and ensure healthy and legitimate elections.
I have no doubt that the Iranian nation will create another epic at this important juncture, President Rouhani stressed, adding that all people and political factions taking part in the polls are victorious.
As many as 4,844candidates, including about 500women, are competing for a place inParliament, head of the Interior Ministry's election headquartersMohammad Hossein Moqimisaid on Thursday.
In the capital Tehran, some 1,000 candidates compete for 30 parliamentary seats. Five seats also go to the religious minorities recognized in the Iranian Constitution, namely Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians.
Members of Parliament serve four-year terms.
Among the main tasks of the legislative body are introducing legislation, dismissing the president and cabinet ministers through no-confidence votes, approving annual national budget and ratifying international treaties.
In the simultaneous vote on Friday, Iranians will also select 88 senior religious figures of the Assembly of Experts, which is tasked with appointing the Leader and monitoring his performance.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli (L) and Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri (S-L) along with a number of other officials visit a polling station in Tehran on February 25, 2016, on the eve of the elections. (Photo by IRNA)[/caption]A week of heated election campaigns came to a close on Wednesday night. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani said opinion polls and estimates showed the turnout would be at around70 percent.
Rahmani Fazli added thatthevote counting will begin as soon as the polls are closed.
All necessary measures have been taken in various parts of the country in preparation for vibrant elections, and no security issues have been reported, he said.
He pointed to special features of the ballots being used in this years elections, saying they have been designed in a way to lower the chances of fraud.
There are 52,000 polling stations with 120,000 ballot boxes across the country, according to the Iranian minister.
By Press TV
