TEHRAN— Speaking to ISNA, the representative of Natanz responded to questions about the presidential elections in the parliament.

"The atmosphere of electoral competition must move in a direction that brings people together to participate in the elections and provide the ground for the right choice," Firoozabadi said. 

He noted that maximum turnout in the elections strengthens the foundations of the establishment and discourages the opposition from achieving its goals.
The parliamentarian said, "We are witnessing that the election campaign is taking place before the official start of the registration of candidates, and several candidates from political parties or independently have announced their existence."

He referred to the election campaigns, expressing his joy over the recent hype in social media platforms about the presidential elections.
"Campaigns are also being formed, and candidates have started competing in cyberspace. Competitions are expected to intensify after the official registration of presidential candidates and the approval of the Guardian Council," he said. 

He also forbade the candidates from resorting to demeaning measures such as defamation, slandering, and character destruction. He called for a healthy, competitive election to find a solution to solve the country's problems. 

"Efforts should be made to provide a suitable environment for the people to participate in the elections and to select a competent and efficient person by forming a suitable competitive environment," the parliamentarian said. 

The upcoming presidential and council elections will be held on June 18.

According to an election official, more than 50,000 people have registered for the council elections, while the registration for the presidential election has not opened up yet. 

According to the elections schedule released by the National Elections Headquarters, the registration will open on May 11 and will last for five days.  

SA/AJ