Urging Action on Electoral Irregularities

The deputy interior minister for security affairs called on organizers of the Feb. 2016 parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections to deal firmly with irregularities and not to discriminate against or in favor of any group or individual.  Hossein Zolfaqari made the remarks in a speech to a gathering of governors in Tehran on Saturday, IRNA reported.  “As we get closer to the elections, sensitivities increase and we should manage international, regional and internal factors that affect elections,” he noted.  In addition, he pointed to “the psychological warfare” by the western media, saying that they have done planning to focus attention on issues such as “the soundness of the elections, human rights and the freedom of the elections.”