Impressive turnout at IRI's parliamentary polls

Nationwide reports indicate a high voter turnout in the early hours of the country’s 9th Majlis (parliamentary) elections, according to Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar. Mohammad-Najjar said Friday that reports from across the country show that people appeared at polling stations in the early hours of the morning to cast their ballots. He said long lines of voters were formed outside polling stations even before the voting began. Polling stations opened for the 9th Majlis elections in Iran at 08:00 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) on Friday, and will continue until 06:00 p.m. (14:30 GMT) if not extended. Over 48 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the Majlis elections. More than 3,450 candidates are competing for the 290 seats in the Iranian parliament.