By NNN-KUNA/IRNA
Tehran : Polling stations for the Iranian legislative elections closed their doors to voters at 11 local time Friday night after five hour extension of polling period.
The Election Committee of the Ministry of the Interior announced in a statement that the polling process had ended at 11 pm and then started counting the votes in the polling centers to declare results later.
For his part, Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Poor Mohammadi told reporters that the percentage of citizens participation in these elections was higher than the previous legislative elections.
On the date of the announcement of election results, Mohammadi replied that “we seek to announce the final results before the start of the (Iranian) New Year holiday which will begin on the 20th of this month.”
More that 5,000 candidates are competing to fill the 290 seats of parliament.
Chairman of the Experts Assembly Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Friday that participation in the elections is a national and Islamic duty to all Iranian people.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote at Imam Khomeini Mosque in northern Tehran, he added, “Formation of a good and active Majlis will make the enemies disappointed.”
He called for mass participation of people in the 8th Majlis election and the by-election for the Experts Assembly.
The enemies want the Iranian people not to attend the elections in order to prove that there is no democracy in the Islamic Republic, he said.
The people will be victorious through formation of a powerful and effective parliament, he reiterated, adding that no body in the country plays such a key role as the Majlis does.
Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said here on Friday that the Iranian nation is the real winners of the elections and the enemies are the real losers.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote for the 8th Majlis elections and the by-election for the Experts Assembly, he added that the enemies are always afraid of massive participation of people in the elections.
“Majlis is manifestation of national sovereignty, unity and national solidarity,” he said.
“Presence of people at the polling stations proves their political consciousness and their love towards their country”, he added.
He expressed the hope that by electing appropriate representatives, the Majlis can serve the people in the best possible manner and can defend the country’s interest.
Haddad-Adel urged the Iranian people to give a crushing response to Washington by their active participation in the elections.