Iranians Head to the Polls to Vote on Parliament
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BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images(TEHRAN, Iran) — Iranians are headed to the polls on Friday to vote in a major parliamentary election that could reset the political power balance in Tehran.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s highest power, is urging people to vote in a sign of support for the Islamic Republic.
Those at the polls will have a limited selection — the only candidates allowed to run are from Iran’s conservative ruling elite. And within them there’s a battle: candidates who support President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad versus his harshest critics. Should his critics win, it will be a blow to Ahmadinejad at home.
The election comes at a time when Iranians are feeling the pain of economic sanctions and finding it harder to make ends meet. Iran’s government is also feeling a pinch — sanctions imposed by the West are restricting its oil sales.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio