A key member of the Association of Combatant Clerics said reformists are currently holding consultations to increase "synergy for a coordinated and unified participation" in the Feb. 26, 2016 parliamentary poll.
"The reformist camp will do its best to contest the election with a single list of candidates," Majid Ansari told ICANA on Saturday, in reference to ongoing meetings between reformists to plan for the election.
He said prominent figures of the reformist movement take part in the meetings to help better coordinate efforts.
Ansari underlined the significant role of the Majlis and the Assembly of Experts in handling various issues facing the Islamic Republic, especially at "critical junctures".
The Assembly of Experts election will be held concurrently with the Majlis vote.
Ansari, who is also the vice president for parliamentary affairs, expressed hope that examining the qualifications of candidates for the two elections would be carried out within "legal frameworks" and in line with national interests. "We hope the vetting process does not end up turning into a challenge [for reformists]."
He said the position of the Assembly of Experts does not overlap with that of Parliament or even the president, emphasizing that "the status [the clerical body] is beyond political and factional rivalry."
Underlining the importance of morality and fairness as the main principles of any sound election, Ansari called on the media, especially state television, to commit to observing impartiality in the course of election campaign.
On Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's decision to run in the Assembly of Experts election, Ansari said, "Participation of Ayatollah Rafsanjani and other senior clerics will bring vitality and glory to the elections."
He noted that in view of the background of the senior politician's activities in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, his presence in the Assembly of Experts would certainly enhance the efficiency of the body, which is constitutionally tasked with overseeing the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
