Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, intervened once again to call on voters to mobilize for Friday’s vote as a poll predicts low turnout, particularly in Tehran.
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With our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi
In front of an audience of young voters, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei once again called on voters to mobilize. “ Everyone who loves Iran should know that a low turnout election is against everyone’s interest “, declared the Iranian number one. He added that the United States, Europeans and Israelis were closely monitoring voter mobilization in Iran and could threaten the security of the country in the event of low participation.
For a little over a month, the Iranian number one has intervened at least five times to call on the Iranians to participate massively in Friday’s vote. Some 61 million Iranians are called to the polls to elect the 290 deputies of Parliament and members of the Assembly of Experts, a body responsible for choosing the successor to the current supreme leader after his death.
The government hopes for strong participation only in 2020
According to a latest survey, a little more than 38% of voters say they are sure to vote while 32% will boycott the vote. 16% have not yet made their decisions. In Tehran, where the election is more political, only 23% of voters say they are sure to vote.
Four years ago, the participation rate was 42%. The government is hoping for greater participation as the economic crisis hits Iranians hard and regional tensions continue to rise.