TEHRAN – Deputy Parliament Speaker Masoud Pezeshkian says the bill to change parliamentary elections from local to provincial level would lead to better coordination among lawmakers.

The move “would drive lawmakers toward being coordinated with a team and then that team would have to find a common ground and a common language,” Tasnim on Friday quoted Pezeshkian as saying.

“We should have at most 2 or 3 parties, rather than having groups of very few people who gather round and call themselves parties.” Such heightened commonalities in the parliament is a step forward, he added.

The top reformist lawmaker also criticized the growing number of parties in Iran, saying, “We should have at most 2 or 3 parties, rather than having groups of very few people who gather round and call themselves parties.” 

He argued that having fewer parties is similar to having fewer constituencies in terms of leading to better decision-making.

Last week, Guardian Council spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodaei said the council neither supports nor opposes parliamentary elections at provincial level.

According to Iran’s constitution, any bill passed by the parliament must be reviewed and approved by the Guardian Council to become law.

Kadkhodaei also warned that provincial elections should not lead to a reduced communication between representatives and their constituencies or decrease voter turnout.

Meanwhile, Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Hossein-Ali Amiri has announced that the Rouhani administration is in favor of the bill.

MH/PA