Ayatollah Nouri Hamadani considered protecting and preserving the revolution as a public duty and said that the Iranian people protect and strengthen the country by casting their votes in ballot boxes. RNA – Casting his vote in the 11th parliamentary and midterm Assembly of Experts elections in Qom, Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani said, “It is imperative to preserve the Islamic republic of Iran and the elections are the manifestation of religious democracy. Iran is the country of the Imam Mahdi and everyone who has faith in the Imam, must participate in the elections.”
“Thanks to God, today, Iranian system is Islamic, which is at the height of power and is based on religious democracy”, the prominent lecturer in the Qom seminary said.
“Iranian pious people have passed great experiments and today they should participate in elections and cast their votes. Our duty is to preserve this Islamic, religious and democratic system until the Reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi”, the source of the emulation added.
“It is necessary for all people to participate in the elections and strengthen their country (Islamic Republic of Iran)”, his eminence stated.
The 11th parliamentary elections and the midterm elections for the Assembly of Experts – a body whose members designate the country’s Leader – are being held simultaneously.
Last year, Iran's parliament objected to a motion to increase the number of the seats, keeping the figure at 290.
A total of 57,918,000 people are eligible to cast their ballots, therefore; there would be one lawmaker at the parliament per each 190,000-strong segment of the Iranian population.
A total of 7,148 candidates, including dozens of Iranians from the religious minorities, are running for the parliament.
In capital Tehran, 1,335 candidates are contesting one of the 30 allocated seats on the legislature.
The lawmakers are elected for a 4-year term, with no limitation for the incumbent or former parliamentarians to run again.
Rasa News Agency
A847/979