Alwaght- Iran is making its final preparations for Friday elections, with new polls suggesting a higher turnout in the key vote.
People will cast their votes to elect 276 members of the parliament.
The Iranians also vote to elect their representatives in another body, Assembly of Experts of Leadership.
The election campaigns started a week ago, with the candidates promoting their plans for the country both in person, on social media, and on national TV as a space is provide for them to elaborate on their plans.
Minister of Interior Ahmad Vahidi, whose ministry is responsible for arranging the elections, called on the people to turn out in high rates as this will make the country "stronger."
Emphasizing that the enemies of the Iranian nation are afraid of the presence of the Iranian people in the election scene, Vahidi said: "The enemies of the [Islamic] Revolution resort to any means and spend huge amounts of money to dissuade the people from participating in the elections and from voting."
He went on, saying: "Today, our nation has taken on the heavy responsibility of sending a message to all the Islamic nations and the nations of the world so that different nations and the Islamic nation can achieve freedom, independence and adherence to high divine values."
The spokesman to the Guardian Council, a 12-member body supervising the elections and implementation of the constitution, Hadi Tahan Nazif said on Tuesday that in this year's elections every seat is vied for by 48 candidates.
Path of reform passes through elections
The Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution last week called on a high turnout in the March 1 elections as it will provide a leverage for the officials to solve the problems the country is facing.
He went on that the country needs reforms and the path of reforms passes through elections.
Speaking at a meeting with a group of people from East Azarbaijan Province in the Imam Khomeini Hussainyah of Tehran on Sunday, Ayatollah Khamenei said everyone should participate in the elections.
“Elections are the main pillar of the Islamic Republic. The way to reform the country is through elections,” he said.
He reminded the candidates that political differences should not affect the national unity of the Iranian nation against the enemies.
“Do not assume that the enemy is weak and incapable,” the Leader asserted. “An important condition for victory is knowing the capabilities of the enemy, yet not fearing it.”
In a meeting with family members of maryrs and first-time voters yesterday, the Leader described the election a source of national power.
"Strong and fervent elections constitute one of the pillars of running the country properly,” the Leader said. “If we can show the world that the nation is present in the country’s critical and decisive scenes, we have saved and moved the country forward.”
Higher turnout expectations
Earlier, polls said that the voter turnout would be around 40 percent in the parliamentary elections, but a recent poll conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) said that 41.5 percent of the participants said that they will definitely participate in the elections. 29.5 are undecided, and 29 percent have said that they will not participate in the elections.
Among the undecided, 16.3 percent have declared that they will probably vote, 9.1 percent said they remain undecided, and 4.1 percent have said that they will probably not participate, according to IRIB results.
With the consideration of the undecided, the potential turnout is around 71 percent, although it is natural that this maximum estimate will not be fully realized.
West wants a low turnout
Since last year, the Persian-language Western media have been working to produce a lower turnout as they know that a high turnout rate will grant the Islamic Republic a leverage to more powerfully proceed with its foreign policy.
The London and Washington-based media, mainly BBC Persian and Iran International, have been persuading public opinion in Iran that they should boycott the elections, fearing that a stronger Tehran can further wreak the Western influence in West Asia.
The BBC has been focusing on the economic woes in its campaign of dissuasion, saying that lower turnout are expected because people are in economic difficulties.
The Iran International, funded first by Saudi Arabia and now Israel, promotes boycott, saying that there are still gaps between the people and the government because of 2022 riots.
But this is just media propaganda. In the cities, the election enthusiasm is high and people say the vote is key to national power and they will throw their support behind their government as the country is now in a turning point in its policy and confrontation with the West is running high.
A stronger parliament is currently what Iran needs to continue its reforms and its voyage to advances in more than one domestic area and people seem to have understood this well.
IRGC commander said last week that "we cannot stop at any point and stop equals falling and people understand that participation in the political process is a big deal."
