Turnout in Iran’s Twin Elections Surprising: Albanian Journalist

“I am surprised for something. In European countries, in general, the people are very indifferent to vote. Even when they like a party or a movement, they are very indifferent. So you never see a kind of crowd (there) as I have seen here. I was really surprised when I saw old people waiting for a lot of time as the others just to vote,” Ben Andoni, who covered the Parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections in Tehran on February 26, told the Tasnim News Agency.

He added, "The people were very serious and they were eager to vote. I asked some of them directly if they were really interested in these elections and they said: 'Yes, we like (the two votes) because they will forecast good prosperity and good future for Iran.'"

The Albanian journalist further said Iranian people told him that reformists and principlists were the same for them and that they just voted for the future of Iran.

Elsewhere in the interview, Andoni said a lot of people in the West respect Iran and its independence, tradition, and culture, but they do not see Iran's inner core and spirit. 

"Iran has to export more culture," he stressed.

Countrywide parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections were held in Iran on Friday.

More than 60 percent of some 55 million eligible voters cast their ballots at around 53,000 polling stations across the country.

4,844 and 161 candidates have been running for the parliament and the Assembly of Experts, respectively.

There are 290 seats in the Iranian parliament, elected by direct vote of people in nationwide election for four years.

The Assembly of Experts is also a high-ranking body that elects and oversees the activities of the leader of the Islamic Revolution.

Members of the 88-seat assembly are directly elected to office by people for an eight-year term. It holds biannual meetings to appoint a new chairman.