Iran votes in general election marred by disqualifications

Iran went to the polls Friday for a general election that conservatives are expected to dominate amid voter apathy after an economic slump, multiple crises and the disqualification of thousands of candidates.

The 11th parliamentary election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution comes after steeply escalating tensions between Iran and the United States and the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner by Iranian air defences that sparked anti-government protests.

As he cast the first ballot in the election, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged all Iranians to take part, saying that doing so would "guarantee the country's national interests".

Voters formed long queues at polling stations in south Tehran, where conservatives have a solid support base, but far fewer were seen waiting to vote in upmarket northern neighbourhoods.

One official accused Iran's enemies of overplaying an outbreak of the new coronavirus -- which killed two people in the Islamic republic this week -- in a bid to harm the credibility of the election.

"The counter-revolutionaries' latest trick was to exaggerate the coronavirus news by saying that finger ink had been infected," Tehran election committee chief Shokrollah Hassanbeygi said, quoted by semi-official news agency ISNA.

In a bid to allay fears over the spread of the coronavirus, the use of ink-staining to stop people voting multiple times was made optional.

Experts predict a low turnout that they say will serve the conservatives at the expense of President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected in 2017 promising more freedoms and the benefits of engagement with the West.

Iran has been hit by an economic slump and high inflation since US President Donald Trump reimposed harsh sanctions after unilaterally pulling out of a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018.

"Our elections are useless," said Amir Mohtasham, who is 38 and jobless.

"Even the current parliament has 90 sitting MPs who are under investigation for financial corruption." After three hours of voting, five million of the 58 million people eligible to vote had done so, the interior ministry said.

Around half of the 16,033 hopefuls will contest the 290 seats up for grabs across 31 provinces after the Guardian Council barred thousands of would-be candidates, mostly moderates and reformists.

Outgoing lawmaker Elyas Hazrati said he voted despite being disqualified.

"The Guardian Council said I don't accept Islam," he said.

On Thursday, the US slapped sanctions on five officials from the Council, including Ahmad Jannati, a powerful cleric.

Jannati laughed off the sanctions. "I wonder, what are we going to do about all that money we have in American accounts?" the 92-year-old was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency after voting.

"Now we can't even go there for Christmas anymore!"
"Rouhani is very weak. He just looks to the West. If he considered his people's interests this would not have happened."