Two weeks before the elections in Iran, the country staged ceremonies marking the victory of the 1979 Revolution. Speaking at the ceremonies, President Hassan Rohani referred to the elections and said people will not vote “for those who promote conflict and extremism”.
ISNA reported on Thursday February 11 that Rohani said: “People will vote for those who comply with law and order, and not those who promote conflict and extremism.”
He added that no one should boycott the elections, not even those “who are critical of the regime. All conflicts must be brought to the ballot…the public vote will be the final say.”
Despite Rohani’s rally to participate in the elections, a number of scholars have written to him recommending that the administration cancel the elections in view of the widespread disqualification of candidates.
Rohani’s efforts to revive the candidacy of reformists disqualified by the Guardian Council have been unsuccessful.
The Guardian Council disqualified over 51 percent of the candidates from running in the parliamentary elections. This is an unprecedented percentage of disqualifications compared to the last nine elections.
Of the 800 candidates who registered to run for the Assembly of Experts, only 161 were approved.
The two elections will run concurrently on February 26.
