Feb 23, 2020 - World

Iranian state TV: Hardliners win landslide victory in low-turnout election

Jacob Knutson

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photo: Iranian supreme leader press office/handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Iranian state TV announced Sunday that hardliners won a landslide victory in the country's parliamentary elections two days ago, including all 30 seats in Tehran, AP reports.

Why it matters: Voter turnout in the election reached only 42.57%, according to Iran's Interior Ministry, the first time turnout dipped below 50% since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The low turnout may signal dissatisfaction with the Iranian government and the election system.

The landslide victory for hardliners will make capturing the presidency in 2021 even easier.

The big picture: More than 7,000 potential parliamentary candidates were disqualified from running, most of them reformists and moderates.

Among those disqualified were 90 sitting members of the country's 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly who were running for re-election.

What they're saying: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei early Sunday accused foreign “propaganda” of dissuading people from voting by spreading fear of the coronavirus, which has infected at least 43 people and killed eight.

Go deeper: Iran's hardliners look to consolidate control in parliamentary election

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Iranian state TV: Hardliners win landslide victory in low-turnout election

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