This Article is From Feb 06, 2016

Iran Body Reverses Ban On 1,500 Election Candidates

Iran Body Reverses Ban On 1,500 Election Candidates

The upcoming vote in Iran is seen as a showdown between hard-liners and moderates. (Representational Image)

Tehran, Iran: Iran's constitutional watchdog, the hard-line Guardian Council, has reversed a ban on 1,500 candidates who had registered to run in February 26 parliamentary elections.

State TV today said that says a list of approved candidates has been conveyed to Iran's Interior Ministry.

The council, which is responsible for vetting candidates, had disqualified a large number of moderates, but it's not clear how many of the approved candidates are considered to be reformists.

Nine moderate parties issued a statement last month complaining that only 30 of the 3,000 reformist candidates fielded across the country were allowed to run.

The upcoming vote is seen as a showdown between hard-liners and moderates, who hope for a boost in the wake of the newly implemented nuclear deal and the lifting of international sanctions.

 
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