Candidates for Iran's parliament have officially begun campaigning for the upcoming election, marking the country's first electoral process since the violent crackdown on the 2022 nationwide protests triggered by the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
State television has reported that a record-breaking 15,200 candidates are vying for a four-year term in the 290-seat chamber, which has been under the control of hardliners for the past two decades. This number is more than double the candidates who participated in the 2020 election, which saw a voter turnout of just over 42%, the lowest since 1979.
The protests erupted following Amini's death on September 16, 2022, after she was arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict headscarf law, which mandates women to cover their hair and entire bodies. The demonstrations quickly evolved into calls for the overthrow of Iran's clerical rulers, leading to a brutal crackdown that resulted in the deaths of over 500 individuals and the arrest of nearly 20,000, as reported by human rights activists in Iran.
The Guardian Council, an election watchdog, has approved the 15,200 candidates and forwarded their names to the interior ministry, which oversees the election process. Notably, there are 1,713 women candidates, more than double the number from the previous election.
The election is scheduled for March 1, with the newly elected parliament set to convene in late May. Current parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf will be contesting from his hometown in the northeast, a shift from his previous constituency in Tehran, which may indicate a decline in popularity.
President Ebrahim Raisi, an incumbent assembly member, will seek reelection in a remote constituency in South Khorasan province, facing competition from a lesser-known cleric. Additionally, 144 clerics will be competing for the 88-seat Assembly of Experts, an all-cleric body that advises Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over state matters.
The Assembly of Experts plays a crucial role in monitoring the supreme leader and selecting his successor. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been in power for 34 years, will turn 85 in April, underscoring the significance of the upcoming elections in shaping Iran's political landscape.
