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31 December 2011 - 08:05

The deputy head of Iran's Election Headquarters, Hassan Ali Nouri, says more than 4,500 hopefuls have so registered for candidacy in the upcoming Majlis elections.

He added that 4,574 hopefuls, including 3,896 men and 316 women have submitted their documents by Friday noon, the seventh day of candidacy registration.

He said 202 current lawmakers have also registered to run for Majlis in the upcoming elections.

Nouri said Tehran's constituency had the highest rates with a record of 843 registrations while North Khorasan Province showed the lowest figures.

Registrations for the 9th Majlis elections, which is scheduled to be held on March 2, began with an opening ceremony attended by Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar and several other senior Iranian officials in Tehran on Saturday.

Hopefuls for the next Majlis elections have until 5 p.m. local time (0130 GMT) December 30, 2011 to register. Officials have announced that an extension on the deadline is unlikely.

Iran's Guardian Council, which is tasked with supervising the elections, will then vet possible candidates.

According to Iran's electoral law, potential candidates must be Muslim, Iranian in nationality, of sound body and mind, between 30 to 75 years of age, have no criminal record, uphold the values of the Islamic Republic, abide by the Iranian Constitution and hold a master's degree.

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News ID 181327