Campaigns for two major elections begin in Iran

Iranian hopefuls began their campaigns on Thursday in a run for two important Majlis (parliament) and Assembly of Experts' elections slated for Feb. 26.

Out of about 12,000 registered hopefuls, 6,229 qualified candidates will compete for 290 seats in the Majlis, namely, some 21 people will compete for each seat in the parliamentary election.

The parliament members will be elected by the direct vote of people for four years.

The Iranian Majlis can force the dismissal of cabinet ministers by no-confidence votes and can impeach the president for misconduct in office.

The parliament also drafts legislation, ratifies international treaties, and approves the national budget.

Also, on Feb. 26, 166 candidates will stand for an election to occupy 88 seats in the Iran's Assembly of Experts.

Iran's assembly is a deliberative body of Islamic theologians or Mujtahids, elected for eight years, and charged with electing and removing the Supreme Leader of Iran and supervising his activities.

Current laws require the assembly to meet biannually to discuss the issues around the leadership of the country.

Direct vote of people decides on the members of the assembly from the list of candidates approved by Iranian high legislative body of Guardian Council.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is among the approved to run for the elections of Assembly of Experts.

The assembly is an important Iranian political institution, since it assures the nation that there would be no vacuum in the leadership of the country, Rouhani said earlier.

The two 2016 elections in the Islamic republic are important in the sense that they may alter the conservative-dominated texture of the Majlis and assembly with the moderate and reformist members.

On Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of "enemy plots to influence" the upcoming elections.

Khamenei said the United States plans to challenge the Guardian Council's decisions of vetting the candidates and portray the elections as illegal.

"Since the first day of the (Islamic) revolution, Americans have opposed certain basic organs, including the Guardian Council, but they could not do away with it. Now they want to call into question its decisions," he was quoted as saying by Press TV. Enditem