A prominent principlist figure said the Principlist Coalition Council is putting together its list of candidates for the upcoming elections of Majlis and Assembly of Experts, scheduled for Feb. 26.
In an interview with Fars News Agency on Wednesday, Parviz Sarvari said an effective parliament is one that addresses the nation’s demands. Describing economy as the most serious source of concern for Iranians, Sarvari said the priority in the next Majlis should be advancing Resistance Economy, a set of economic principles to reduce reliance on oil revenues and boost domestic production.
The Principlist Coalition has been formed to organize the electoral efforts of principlist parties and help them preserve their majority in parliament. In an interview with IRNA on Wednesday, Secretary of Election Headquarters Ali Pourali Motlaq said the qualifications of 10,967 nominees have been approved by the Interior Ministry, while 810 have not been approved and 291 have announced their withdrawal.
Disqualified hopefuls can appeal the decision and seek further investigation from Jan. 6 to Jan. 9, while their objections will be processed from Jan. 10 to Jan. 16. The total number of registered candidates for Majlis elections set an all-time record and nearly 90% of nominees passed the first phase of the vetting process conducted by the Interior Ministry. In the second and last phase of the process, the Guardians Council, which is tasked with supervising the election, will begin to vet the candidates on January 17.
The final list of qualified candidates will be released on February 16 and they will be able to canvass for votes from February 18 to 25.
