Iran twin elections held in calm climate: Minister

Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli says the country’s vital parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections were held in a calm and secure climate.

The elections were held in a peaceful political and security atmosphere, Rahmani Fazli told reporters on Saturday.

He added that no ballot box in any constituency across Iran has so far been declared null and void because of irregularities.

The Iranian minister said some 33 million voters or more than 60 percent of eligible voters turned out in the twin crucial elections on Friday.

As vote counting is still underway in some constituencies, including Tehran, the voter turnout will be certainly higher, he noted.

Rahmani Fazli said vote counting in 48 constituencies has ended, adding that the run-off parliamentary elections will be held for 13 constituencies.

The run-off for some seats will be held in late (Iranian month of) Farvardin or early Ordibehesht (late April), he said.

The Iranian minister further said votes of more than 3,000 ballot boxes have so far been counted in Tehran.

The results in Tehran will be announced tonight but it will take longer to declare the final result, he added.

He put the number of registered voters in Tehran Province at 3.9 million people, which amounts to nearly 48 percent of the eligible voters in the capital.

Initial results of Experts Assembly elections in Tehran

According to the initial results of the Assembly of Experts elections in Tehran Province released by the Interior Ministry, 1,506,803 votes have been counted so far and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and President Hassan Rouhani are leading with 692,248 and 652,792 votes respectively.

Current member of the Assembly Mohsen Qomi and Friday Prayers leaders Mohammad Aqa Emami and Mohammad Ali Movahedi are in third to fifth slots. Secretary of the Guardian Council Ahmad Jannati, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi and current head of the Assembly Mohammad Yazdi are 10th to 12th while Mohammad Taqi Mesbah, who is also a member of the Assembly, is 16th with 336,843 ballots.

At least 33 million out of 55 million eligible voters took part in the two key elections.

As many as 4,844 candidates, including about 500 women, were competing for a place in the 290-seat Parliament. A total of 159 others were running for the 88-member Assembly of Experts. Members of the Assembly serve eight-year terms while MPs are elected every four years.