Iran vote: key electoral lists

Iranians go to the polls Friday to elect a new 290-seat parliament and the powerful Assembly of Experts which supervises the work of the Islamic republic's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Here are some of the key electoral lists of conservative and reformist candidates:

- Grand Coalition of Conservatives -

The country's main conservative parties have forged a united list in a bid to maximise their vote.

In Tehran, its candidates, who include six women, are contesting all 30 seats.

Partisans of hardline conservative former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have been excluded from the list.

It is headed by Gholam-Ali Hadad Adel, a former parliament speaker, whose daughter is married to one of Khamenei's sons.

The list includes members of the outgoing parliament known for their hostility to the moderate government of President Hassan Rouhani.

- List of Hope -

The list was formed by reformist and moderate politicians under the slogan "second step" but changed its name after an intervention by reformist former president Mohammad Khatami, considered the campaign's architect.

"Second step" was a nod to the so-called "first step" accomplished by Rouhani when he won the 2013 presidential election.

All candidates for public office in Iran are vetted for their loyalty to the Islamic republic and many reformist hopefuls were excluded.

The List of Hope has still managed to field candidates across the country but in many cases has been forced to rely on lesser known figures.

In Tehran, the list is headed by Mohammed Reza Aref, who was a vice president in Khatami's government and whose decision to step aside three years ago helped Rouhani to his landslide presidential election victory.

Moderate conservatives, several reformist lawmakers and eight women are among the candidates on the list.

- Voice of the Nation -

A third list is running in Tehran led by maverick moderate conservative lawmaker Ali Motahari.

Motahari is known for a number of controversial positions, including his outspoken opposition to the continued house arrest of the defeated reformist candidates in the 2009 presidential election, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, accused of sedition over street protests that followed the disputed ballot.

- Assembly of Experts -

Iran's highest clerical body comprises 88 members whose task is to monitor the work of the country's supreme leader.

The Assembly election is seen by many as more important than the parliamentary polls as its members will choose a new supreme leader if the incumbent, Khamenei, who is 76, dies during its eight-year term.

Moderate and reformist politicians have urged voters to mobilise against hardline conservatives -- particularly in Tehran where 16 candidates are vying for an assembly seat.

Their appeal has taken on added urgency after one of their main candidates, Hassan Khomeini, grandson of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was excluded from the election by the vetting committe.
Source :AFP