A prominent Tehran lawmaker said the Iranian people should not turn their back to the Majlis elections because it will not help make things better.
Ali Motahhari added that he believes that despite the widespread disqualification of reformist candidates, people should actively and eagerly participate in the Feb. 26 event, IRNA reported.
"In the elections for the ninth Majlis, reformists boycotted the event and the result was a parliament weaker than the eighth one," he said. "Today, if we don’t fully participate in elections, the same will be repeated."
The MP noted that among the approved candidates, there are many clear-headed and reliable hopefuls.
"We look forward to a sweeping change in the composition of the next Majlis," he said.
Motahhari, an approved candidate, leads the list of candidates for the Independents and Moderates Front, a group of 38 parties supporting the government allied with reformists for the upcoming Majlis election.
The Guardians Council, a body tasked with supervising the election and vetting candidates, announced last week that from a record number of 12,123 individuals registered for the Majlis elections, the qualifications of 6,300 hopefuls have been approved.
The disqualification of many reformist candidates has led to the objection of reformist parties, although the council has reassured them of fairness in the vetting process.
A majority of incumbent parliamentarians are principlists, meaning a shift in power in favor of the reformists will be difficult. So the reformists have their work cut out for them, if they want to sway the voters.
