TEHRAN - Mohsen Eslami, the spokesperson for Iran's Election Headquarters, provided further insights into the process of the second round of elections in Tehran during a briefing on Sunday.

Eslami outlined the procedure, stating, "In Tehran, for instance, if only 10 candidates managed to secure 20% of the votes each, we will nominate double the remaining number of seats for competition among these candidates. This means that if 20 individuals in Tehran fail to secure 20% of the votes, they will have to compete with the next 20 candidates in line, resulting in a pool of 40 contenders."

He elaborated that candidates who secure 20% of the votes will be ranked according to their performance. "In scenarios where, for instance, five candidates secure twenty percent of the votes for the 30 representative seats, or when ten candidates achieve the same percentage, those who have obtained twenty percent will be elected based on their ranking," Eslami clarified.

Furthermore, he explained the process for candidates who did not secure 20% of the votes, stating, "The remaining candidates and seats will proceed to the second round. For instance, if only 10 candidates in Tehran managed to secure 20% of the votes, we would nominate double the remaining number of seats for competition among these candidates. They will then compete with each other. For example, if 20 candidates in Tehran did not secure 20 percent of the votes, they would have to compete with the next 20 candidates in line, totaling 40 contenders."

On October 25, Eslami revealed an unprecedented figure: 20,248 candidates had registered for Iran's parliamentary elections set for March 1. "As of the final day of the one-week registration period, 20,248 candidates have completed their registration," he announced, providing further insight, Eslami noted that 11% of the candidates were women, while the remaining 89% were men.

Karaj led the pack in candidate registrations, followed by Shahriar, Tehran, Yazd, Mashhad, Robat Karim, Isfahan, Ahwaz, Savojbolagh, and Kashan in descending order. The context of these elections was significant, given the conservative dominance observed in the previous 2020 legislative elections, where reformists secured only 20 seats. The recorded turnout for that election stood at 42.57%.

The current parliament has received accolades for its resilience against Western pressures and its steadfastness in rejecting demands from Washington. 

Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, commended the legislature for its prompt action in formulating nuclear policies, particularly highlighting the adoption of the "strategic action plan to counter sanctions" in December 2020.

In early June, Ayatollah Khamenei had cautioned against foreign efforts to instill hopelessness among Iranians ahead of the 2024 elections, underlining the pivotal role of this year's vote in shaping the nation's trajectory.

During the March 1 elections, polling stations across Iran opened at 8 a.m. local time and operated until midnight, accommodating over 15,000 candidates vying for 290 parliamentary seats and 144 contenders competing for 88 seats in the Assembly of Experts. Ayatollah Khamenei, after casting his vote early on Friday, urged the Iranian populace to defy detractors by participating in the electoral process.

A total of 61.17 million eligible voters, comprising 30.94 million men and 30.22 million women, were expected to participate, with preliminary results suggesting around 25 million ballots were cast. The elections garnered substantial international attention, with over 350 foreign reporters from 160 media outlets present in Iran to cover the event.

Despite anticipated challenges, Iranians demonstrated strong participation in both Tehran and other major cities, thwarting efforts by troublemakers and naysayers. The turnout mirrored that of the 2020 parliamentary elections, indicating a failure of enemy plots aimed at sowing disillusionment among the populace.

Days before the elections, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted historical contrasts, recalling sham elections under the Pahlavi regime and warning against external interference. He emphasized that hostile powers, including the U.S., Europe, and Zionist entities, feared the Iranian people's participation, recognizing their potential influence.

In the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution, Western adversaries have resorted to various tactics to undermine Iranian democracy, indifferent to the genuine aspirations of the populace. Their selective criticism of non-compliant regimes contrasts sharply with their silence on autocratic regimes devoid of democratic principles and popular representation.