Ayatollah Rafsanjani:

Every ballot paper matters

Rasa - Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani highlighted the great significance of the ongoing parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections for the country’s future.

News ID: 3997

Date: 27 February 2016 - 01:40

RNA - Speaking to reporters at a polling station in Tehran on Friday morning, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani called on people to take part in the elections, because “it is a big day and every single ballot paper can shape the country’s fate and future.”

He also called on those involved in counting the ballots to proceed with extreme caution and protect the people’s votes.

Polling stations across Iran opened at 8 am and are scheduled to work for 10 hours. Some 55 million Iranians are eligible to cast their votes in the two elections.

There are 290 seats in the Iranian parliament, elected by direct vote of people in nationwide election for four years.

The Assembly of Experts is also a high-ranking body that elects and oversees the activities of the leader of the Islamic Revolution.

Members of the 88-seat assembly are directly elected to office by people for an eight-year term. It holds biannual meetings to appoint a new chairman.

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