Police Step Up Security ahead of Iran Parliamentary Elections

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, General Hossein Rahimi said around 14,000 Police forces are scheduled to protect the security of 4,552 polling stations in the metropolis.

The Police have made special arrangements for the election day by organizing various special intelligence units and security teams, he added.

General Rahimi also noted that the Police are constantly monitoring the situation to take action against law-breaking relating to the electoral campaigns, saying the only such case detected so far was a campaign banner being torn off.

The Police in Tehran do not permit campaign carnivals in the streets, but supporters of candidates are free to gather in front of the campaign offices, the commander further said.

The nationwide votes for the parliament and the midterm election of the Assembly of Experts will be held simultaneously on February 21.

The campaigns for the Assembly of Experts midterm election had already begun on February 6.

A total of 7,148 candidates, including dozens of Iranians from the religious minorities, are running for the parliament. There are 290 seats in the parliament up for grabs.

In capital Tehran, 1,453 candidates are contesting one of the 30 allocated seats on the legislature.

The lawmakers are elected for a 4-year term, with no limitation for the incumbent or former parliamentarians to run again.

Also people in five provinces, North Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, Fars, Tehran and Qom are going to elect 7 candidates running for the midterm election of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, a high-ranking body that elects leader of the Islamic Revolution.

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