The Campaign Period for the Second Round of Parliamentary Elections Has Ended

The deadline for campaigning by candidates who made it to the second round of the Islamic Consultative Assembly elections in Iran ended at 8 AM on May 9. The second phase of the elections for the remaining 68 seats in the Islamic Consultative Assembly will be held on Saturday after a 24-hour "advertising silence." According to the IRNA news agency, 17,000 people will supervise the execution of the second phase. Reformists and government supporters, who achieved significant victories in the first round, have emphasized the "sensitivity" of the second round. Among them, Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, has urged voters to support representatives who back President Hassan Rouhani so that they can "continuously oversee all powers and institutions and legislation, and assist the 'Government of Prudence and Hope' in fulfilling its heavy duties, especially in the post-JCPOA era in economic, international arenas, and in securing more rights and dignity for the people." Mohammad Reza Aref, head of the Supreme Policy Council of Reformists, has also stated that the coalition of government supporters and reformists needs a "decisive majority" in the parliament to implement their programs. On the other hand, figures like Gholamali Haddad Adel, spokesperson for the "Principlists Coalition," have predicted that this group will win the second round of elections. A group of opponents of the Iranian political system has also stated that they will not participate in the elections as they do not consider it democratic in essence. The Tasnim news agency reports that a total of 57 principlist candidates, 45 reformist and government-supporting candidates, and 34 independent candidates will participate in the second round of elections. The second round of elections will take place in areas such as Shahriar, Malard, or Damavand in Tehran province, Tabriz, Arak, Ahar and Heris, Semirom, Ahvaz, Zanjan, and Tarom or Shiraz. In total, elections have gone to the second round in 55 constituencies across 21 provinces.