Iran's state TV says polls have opened for a new parliament as some 7,000 candidates run for the 290-seat house.
Posters of candidates in the Feb. 21st parliamentary elections are pasted on a wall next to celebrity photos displayed by a street vendor, on a sidewalk in downtown Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. Some 7,000 candidates are running in 208 constituencies for the 290-seat chamber. They kicked off their campaigns last Thursday, even after authorities barred thousands of others from running, mainly reformists and moderates.
Iran’s leadership and state media urged voter participation, with some framing it as a religious duty. Earlier this week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said high voter turnout will thwart “plots and plans” by Americans and supporters of Israel against Iran. The parliament in Iran does not have power to dictate major policies, but it does debate the annual budget and the possible impeachment of ministers. Power in Iran ultimately rests with Khamenei, who has final say on all key matters.
Current parliament speaker Ali Larijani decided to step down after 11 years and is not running for reelection. Mohammad Baqher Qalibaf, the former mayor of Tehran who is also the former head of the Revolutionary Guard air force, is seen as one of the front-runners to succeed Larijani.
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