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Iran State Media Claim Large Tournout in Parliamentary Election

Edward Yeranian

   CAIRO - Iranian government media are claiming a large turnout in the
   country's nationwide parliamentary elections Friday, despite numerous
   video reports by citizen journalists on social media showing that
   polling stations were largely empty.

   Iranian state TV showed a large crowd of voters Friday at one Tehran
   polling station, moments after polls opened at 8 a.m. Friday. A number
   of mostly young male voters explained they were casting ballots because
   it was their duty.

   Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iranians during a visit to
   Azerbaijan several days ago to vote in large numbers "because it is
   their religious duty" and because it will "foil plots by [Iran's]
   enemies."

   Fifty-five-thousand polling stations were set up at mosques in towns
   and cities across the country. Many of the more liberal candidates for
   the 290-seat parliament were disqualified by the country's Assembly of
   Experts, leaving a choice of mostly conservative candidates for voters.

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