Iranian elections: Conservatives advance in Tehran

As expected, a coalition of ultra-conservative candidates is leading the Iranian parliamentary elections. According to preliminary results, the “Guardian” list headed by the extremist Hamid Rasai won 17 seats out of 30 in Tehran.

Current Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqir Qalibaf, who ran for another conservative group, also received a mandate, state radio reported.

Low participation in Tehran

Even before that, despite pleas from spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, voter turnout was low. According to Mehr News Agency, voter turnout in Tehran did not exceed 24 percent, according to unofficial results.

According to preliminary results, 41% of voters went to the polls across the country, a historically low turnout rate. The numbers cannot be independently verified.

Some 61 million people were called to elect a new parliament and the Assembly of Experts, an influential body of Islamic clerics. The Guardian Council excluded several critical candidates before the elections.