Iranians turned out in large numbers Friday to vote in a new parliament and a clerical body known as the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the Supreme Leader, in what is the first election since the economic sanctions against the country were lifted.
About 50 million people were eligible to vote in the elections, and the voting started at 8 a.m. local time and finished around 11:45 p.m., with five extensions to allow the masses to cast their ballot.
"Election is a symbol of the political independence of a country. By voting people decide the future of their country," President Hassan Rouhani said after casting his vote, reported Al Jazeera.
"Whoever likes Iran and its dignity, greatness and glory should vote," said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had urged his countrymen after casting his ballor to turn up in large numbers to "disappoint" Iran's enemies, reported BBC News.
While the results will be clear over the next few days, or maybe weeks, early returns do not show any political party winning a clear majority. However, exit polls do show reformists gaining more seats than in the 2004 elections, according to Haaretz.
This, in a way, is validation for Rouhani and his supporters. As president, Rouhani limited Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.
"In this campaign Rouhani and his coalition have been saying that the nuclear deal was first step to economic and political dignity, and that these elections were the next step. If the election is favorable to Rouhani, it becomes his responsibility to fulfill campaign promises," said Reza Marashi of the National Iranian American Council, according to CNN.
The opinion was echoed by Masumeh Ebtekar, one of the vice presidents of Rouhani, who said, "If we have a parliament in our favor we could do a lot to make Iran a strong player in this region and to continue to foster relations with the West."
