TEHRAN- The spokesman for the Constitutional Council said that more than 11,000 candidates have been approved to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections. 

“The final list of approved candidates has been sent to the Ministry of Interior for distribution to the provinces and individuals involved in the election process,” Hadi Tahan Nazif said.

Tahan Nazif stated that the Council thoroughly reviewed over 1.75 million applications, out of which over 21,000 individuals were deemed eligible to register.

He added that after careful scrutiny of their qualifications, approximately 11,000 candidates were approved, marking a significant increase compared to previous parliamentary elections.

Tahan Nazif highlighted Iran's unique electoral landscape, where a high number of candidates typically vie for each parliamentary seat. He noted that for each open seat, an average of 38 candidates will be competing.

Referring to the diverse backgrounds and expertise represented among the approved candidates, Tahan Nazif pointed out that the pool includes over 800 university professors, more than 150 doctors and medical professionals, 1,300 individuals with a background in culture and arts, and over 200 lawyers and judges.

Regarding the current parliament representatives, Tahan Nazif acknowledged that 26 of them were not initially approved. However, he emphasized that these individuals still have the opportunity to appeal the decision and potentially be reinstated by the Constitutional Council. The deadline for submitting appeals is from January 7 to 9.

In terms of the Assembly of Experts elections, Tahan Nazif stated that the preliminary results of the candidate screening process will be announced on January 24.