News / Politics

Registration for Iran’s City, Village Councils Elections underway

Saturday, 25 March 2017 1:43 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 26 March 2017 1:18 PM ]

The photo shows candidates registering for Iran’s 5th City and Village Councils Elections, Tehran, March 24, 2017. (Photo by IRNA)

The registration process is ongoing for Iran’s City and Village Councils Elections with more than 134,000 people having put their name down for the polls so far, an Iranian official says.

Secretary of Interior Ministry's State Elections Committee Ali Pourali Motlaq told reporters on Saturday that 134,212 candidates, including 126,958 men and 7,254 women, have signed up for the polls since the beginning of the registration on March 20.

He added that the figure includes 27,908 people who have registered for the city council elections and 106,304 others signing up for the village polls.

Meanwhile, Governor of Tehran Province Hossein Hashemi also told reporters on Saturday that 6,473 people, including 734 women and 5,739 men, have registered for the City and Village Councils Elections in the province over the past six days.

He added that 1,715 people have signed up for the upcoming elections in the city of Tehran.

Iran will simultaneously hold the 12th presidential election and the 5th City and Village Councils Elections on May 19.

According to Pourali Motlaq, the registration process for the presidential election would begin on April 11 and would last for five days.

The registration process for the city and village council elections will end on Sunday.

The Islamic City Council of Tehran currently has 31 members; however, it will decrease its members to 21 people in accordance with a legislation passed by the Iranian lawmakers in June 2016.

In an address to a huge gathering of pilgrims in the holy Iranian city of Mashhad on March 21 on the first day of the Persian New Year, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei described as "very important" the issue of elections in the Islamic Republic, whether it be the presidential, parliamentary or city council polls.

"Elections are one of the two pillars of religious democracy," the Leader said, adding, "We boast to the world courtesy of our elections and the enemies ignore our elections in order to deal a blow to the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic."

Ayatollah Khamenei said a massive turnout in the elections is a top priority, adding, "The Iranian nation must shine in the elections."

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