A day after parliamentary polls were held in Iran, the hard-liners seemed to be leading in the initial vote counting in the capital of Tehran.
Though the official figures on the voter turnout are yet to be released, the state-run IRNA news agency said the voter turnout was around 41 per cent, a record low, based on the unofficial reports.
State-run IRNA news agency and state TV said 1,960 from 5,000 ballots in Tehran have been counted so far. The Interior Ministry report is updated on an hourly basis.
It was in the February 2020 election that Iran recorded its lowest of 42-per cent voter turnout. It was the lowest turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
With often running a campaign of 'Death to America', the hard-liners have controlled the parliament for the past two decades.
The absolute power in Iran rests with its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though the parliament has various roles including overseeing the executive branch and voting on treaties.
Since Mahsa Amini died in police custody in 2022, this was the first election held after the crackdown on the nationwide protests that erupted after her death.
Amini, 22, died on September 16, 2022, after her arrest by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict headscarf law forcing women to cover their hair and entire bodies. The protests quickly escalated into calls to overthrow Iran's clerical rulers. Over 500 people were killed and about 20,000 were arrested in connection with the protests.
Calling the elections a "sham", Narges Mohammadi, the winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, urged people to boycott the polls.
"The Islamic Republic, with its ruthless and brutal suppression, the killing of young people on the streets, the executions and the imprisonment and torture of men and women, deserves national sanctions and global disgrace,” Mohammadi said in a statement.
About 15,000 candidates are contesting for a seat in the 290-member parliament --the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
Parliament terms run for four years, and five seats are reserved for Iran's religious minorities.
The entire result of the elections will be known only on Monday, however, initial results are expected on Saturday.
