The interior minister said the government will not take sides in the two upcoming parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, scheduled for Feb 26, 2016, noting that it will not support any specific candidate.
Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli made the statement on Thursday at a press conference during his two-day trip to West Azarbaijan Province, IRNA reported.
Estimating the number of possible candidates at 40,000 individuals with diverse political and factional persuasions, the minister stressed that in the course of the elections, the government will "fulfill its responsibilities", noting that it does not intend to interfere in the voting process.
"Our main goals are to (secure) high voter turnout, accurate execution of the election law and sound implementation of this political event," he noted.
Asked about the electronic implementation of elections, Rahmani Fazli said, "We have submitted our proposals on e-voting to the Guardian Council, and consultations and joint measures are in progress."
He called on prospective candidates to commit themselves to legal procedures and carefully consider the expected announcements by related authorities in this regard.
