Tehran, 20 February 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Iranians today began voting in a disputed parliamentary election, overshadowed by a ban on most reformist candidates.
Reformists who dominate the outgoing parliament have urged voters to boycott the poll to protest the disqualifications by unelected conservatives of thousands of pro-reform candidates.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was among the first to vote, told state television today that Iran's enemies were trying to deter young people from voting -- an apparent reference to the boycott urged by reformists.
The Interior Ministry said some 46 million Iranians aged 16 and over were entitled to vote for the 290-member parliament, or Majlis.
Islamic conservatives seem certain to dominate the new assembly after the Guardians Council, a watchdog panel of unelected clerics, disqualified some 2,400 mainly reformist candidates and another 1,179 withdrew.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was among the first to vote, told state television today that Iran's enemies were trying to deter young people from voting -- an apparent reference to the boycott urged by reformists.
The Interior Ministry said some 46 million Iranians aged 16 and over were entitled to vote for the 290-member parliament, or Majlis.
Islamic conservatives seem certain to dominate the new assembly after the Guardians Council, a watchdog panel of unelected clerics, disqualified some 2,400 mainly reformist candidates and another 1,179 withdrew.