Speaking to Khabar Online political correspondent on the sidelines of an open session of Majlis, Bahonar responded to a question on the strategy which can foster people's participation at parliament election in major Iranian cities.
"The competition must be serious, and considering the circumstances and the legal criteria, the Guardian Council should does its best and adopt methods to qualify more candidates," he said.
The senior lawmaker stated that compared with the last Majlis election, the Guardian Council had a much efficient performance this year: "However we think the performance of the Guardian Council could be much efficient to qualify more nominees."
More than 4500 nominees already registered for the Majlis election. The poll is scheduled to be held on March 2, 2012.
Earlier the executive bodies of Iran’s Interior Ministry disqualified many registered candidates mostly those who are among the critics of the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Several reformist nominees as well as Principlist figures including Ali Mottahari and Hamid Reza Katouzian who are currently the members of the Majlis were notably disqualified by the Interior Ministry.
The candidates who had been disqualified by the Interior Ministry referred their case to the Guardian Council. The top legislative body, which monitors the elections in Iran and has the final say on vetting the nominees and defining their qualification, endorsed many candidates mostly those from the Principlist factions.
Elsewhere in his remarks Bahonar commented on an opinion voiced by a number of Principalist members of the parliament who believe the current climate of election is cold and lacks the electoral passion: "Compared to the earlier rounds of Majlis election one may not say the current climate is cold.”
"However if the current condition persists up to the election time, we can buy such view, but in all previous elections we felt the electoral passion was increasingly strengthened on the days ahead of Majlis election. Our experience also proves that the level of people's participation at this event will elevate,” he added.
Vice- speaker of the Majlis reiterated: “Having said that, if the US officials generate media hype to discourage people from going to the polls, Iranians will more appear on the scene of Majlis election.”
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