Iran's Parliament To Represent Whole Nation Despite Low Voter Turnout - Rouhani

TEHRAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2020) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani commented on the record low voter turnout in the country's parliamentary elections, saying that lawmakers will represent the whole country and not only those who went to the polls.

"Since the opening of parliament of the 11th convocation, you will represent not only 42 percent of the voters, but the entire Iranian nation," Rouhani said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said that Iran had recorded an "acceptable" turnout of 42.57 percent among eligible voters in Friday's parliamentary elections. This turnout became the lowest rate of participation of the population in parliamentary elections since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. In addition, the turnout has never before dropped below 50 percent.

Iranians went to the polls on Friday to elect 290 members of the national legislature. Less than a half of over 15,000 candidates were allowed to run after being vetted by the Guardian Council, which oversees elections.

In parallel with the parliamentary elections, Iran held midterm elections of the Assembly of Experts, the body that has the right to appoint the country's supreme leader.