Head of Iran's Election Headquarters: Number of Candidates for City Council Elections Has Tripled

On the fourth day of registration for the Tehran City Council elections, the number of individuals seeking to run in this election has exceeded 900. Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Interior have reported a threefold increase in the number of candidates for city council elections across Iran. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Thursday, March 23, citing Eisa Farahdi, the governor of Tehran, that on this day alone, 203 people definitively registered for the Tehran City Council elections, bringing the total number of candidates in the capital to 917 so far. According to Mr. Farahdi, of these 917 candidates, 781 are men and 136 are women. Previously, several political groups and figures in Iran had called for widespread participation of women in the city and village council elections and invited them to register as candidates. Among them, Mohammad Reza Aref, head of the Reformists' Policy Council, stated that the 'strong presence' of women in this institution would lead to its increased effectiveness. Reports from other media outlets, such as the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA), indicate that on the fourth day of registration for the Tehran City Council elections, most of the prominent figures who appeared at the Tehran governorate were men, including Alireza Dabir and Hossein Rezazadeh, two Olympic champions and current members of the Tehran City Council, Dariush Ghanbari, a former member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and Ali Ghaem-Maqami, a film producer. The Tehran City Council has recently seen the presence of well-known sports figures, including Hadi Saei and Abbas Jadidi, who are also current council members. Additionally, for this term, other sports figures have entered the race and registered, including Alireza Faghani, a football referee, Behdad Salimi, a weightlifter, and Hassan Rangaraz, a wrestler. However, the presence of these athletes has sometimes faced criticism and humor, especially on social media, questioning their expertise. ILNA reported another statement from Ali-Asghar Ahmadi, head of the National Election Headquarters, indicating that the number of candidates for city council elections across Iran has tripled compared to previous terms. According to Mr. Ahmadi, by the end of Wednesday, 58,930 individuals had registered, of which 15,062 were for city councils and 43,375 for village councils. Furthermore, out of the total registrants, 57,717 were men and 3,220 were women. The last day for registration for the city and village council elections is announced as Sunday, April 1, after which the Ministry of Interior will inquire about the candidates from four authorities, including the Ministry of Intelligence, the judiciary, the police, and the Civil Registration Organization.