Candidates register for the parliamentary elections at the Interior Ministry in Tehran, January 11.

TEHRAN, Jan. 12--More than 7,000 candidates have registered for the next parliamentary elections in Iran, Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Hossein Mousapour said on Saturday.
The official said that of the 7,129 candidates vying for 290 parliamentary seats, 580 are women.
In the politically important Tehran constituency, 1,278 candidates have registered for 30 seats, Mousapour told IRNA.
“The number of candidates for the March 14 elections is half that of the 2004 elections, as the education level has been increased by the Interior Ministry from high school diploma to a master’s degree, he said.
Mousapour noted that the exact number of candidates would be announced by the Interior Ministry later Saturday in an official statement.
All candidates are to be checked within the next 10 days by the constitutional watchdog, the Guardians Council, which is in charge of vetting the ideological qualification of parliamentary and presidential election candidates.
Belief in and commitment to Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran, allegiance to the constitution and Velayat-e Faqih (the guardianship of supreme jurisprudent), having good physical health, holding at least a master’s degree or its equivalent, lack of criminal records and aged between 30 and 75 years are among prerequisites for the nominees.
Registration began across the country on January 5 and closed on Friday.
Some 43.7 million people over the age of 18 are eligible to vote from a population of 70 million.
More than 45,000 inspectors have been appointed by the Interior Ministry to supervise polling stations nationwide.
The most prominent candidate whose registration has been confirmed was Iran’s former chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.
Fars News Agency reported on Friday that despite previous predictions, Larijani’s predecessor Hassan Rohani would not run in the elections.
The coalition of conservative factions named the United Front of Fundamentalists has introduced 77 candidates for the elections, most of them for the 30 Tehran constituency seats.
According to press reports, the list of moderate-reformist coalition candidates contains previous ministers from the administration of former President Mohammad Khatami.

Kazem Jalali

Muhammad Mian Soomro

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 12--A member of Iran’s Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kazem Jalali has condemned terrorist operations in Pakistan, including the assassination of former Pak Premier Benazir Bhutto.
In a meeting with Pakistan’s caretaker premier, Muhammad Mian Soomro, in Islamabad on Friday, the MP said Iran itself has been a victim of terrorism and understands the ongoing circumstances in Pakistan.
While expressing condolences over the tragic assassination of Bhutto and the death of innocent people in a suicide bomb blast at Lahore, he said such heinous acts cannot deter both the countries to fight terrorism and expressed solidarity with the government and the people of Pakistan, Presstv reported.
The MP’s visit to Islamabad came weeks after Benazir Bhutto, twice prime minister of Pakistan (1988Ð90; 1993Ð96) and leader of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party, was assassinated on December 27.
“We hope the Pakistani government and nation will find a lasting solution to the problem by strengthening national unity,“ he said.
He stated that no issue could negatively affect the deep-rooted ties between Tehran and Islamabad, and stressed the importance of boosting cooperation and convergence between the two sides in the Organization of Islamic Conference.
For his part, Soomro said terrorism threatens the entire region and urged regional countries to make joint efforts to fight against it.
He added that Pakistan attaches special importance to expanding all-out ties with Iran and said the project to transfer Iran’s gas to Pakistan would have economic benefits for Islamabad and reinforce regional convergence.
Pakistan was committed to further strengthen the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iran, which are based on shared faith, culture, values and common heritage as well as interest for peace and prosperity in the region, he said.
Soomro emphasized on more contacts and interaction to further enhance bilateral relations in all fields.

TEHRAN, Jan. 12--Iran’s new ambassadors to South Africa, Tajikistan, Armenia and the Philippines as well as Iran’s consul general for the Russian Tataristan Republic conferred with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad separately here on Friday, IRNA reported.
According to the Presidential Office’s Media Department, the envoys presented reports on the latest situation of their mission and their own programs for expanding bilateral ties.
President Ahmadinejad wished them success in their new missions and offered guidelines.

TEHRAN, Jan. 12--Leader’s representative in the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, denied rumors about his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Cairo.
Larijani’s recent visit to Cairo coincided with that of French President Sarkozy, IRNA reported.
Speaking in Tehran on Friday, Larijani said although his trip to Cairo was an unofficial one, it does not mean that it had no political aspect.
“Simultaneous with my visit to Egypt, Lebanon witnessed political developments, hence consultations with Egyptian, Syrian and Lebanese officials as well as with Arab League secretary-general were necessary,“ he said.
Asked about the possible resumption of ties between Tehran and Cairo, Larijani said, “Iran’s viewpoint concerning political cooperation between the two countries is positive and continuation of consultations would be suitable.“
He evaluated his talks with Egyptian officials ’constructive’.
On UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei’s visit to Tehran, Larijani said Iran expects ElBaradei uses his power to return Iran’s nuclear case from the UN Security Council to the IAEA.
He called for taking Iran’s case to the UNSC as a blow to the credit of the IAEA.
Larijani, who has also registered for the next parliamentary elections in Iran on Friday, said he did not want to run for the polls but some distinguished religious figures persuaded him to take part.

TEHRAN, Jan. 12--An Italian delegation headed by Italian Parliament’s Foreign Policy Commission Chairman Umberto Ranieri left Rome for Tehran on Saturday.
The delegation, comprising members of the commission, is scheduled to visit Majlis and confer with Iranian MPs during its stay in Tehran, IRNA reported.
The two sides will discuss issues related to the Middle East crisis, Central Asia and bilateral relations between Iran and the European Unions.
Pietro Marcenaro, Sabina Siniscaldi, Patrizia Paoletti Tangheroni and Marco Zakra are among members of the delegation.

TEHRAN, Jan. 12--Iranian security forces have disbanded a terrorist cell in southeastern Iran, killing a number of its members and detaining others.
Mohammad Ghaffari, a local police commander in Sistan-Baluchestan province, said security forces launched an attack on the terrorists, who had hatched a plot to assassinate prominent clerics in the provincial town of Khash, Presstv reported.
“The plots are aimed at provoking ethnic and sectarian clashes in the province,“ he said.
Ghaffari noted that establishment of security is a top police priority and security forces are duty-bound to fight drug traffickers and hostage-takers.
Bandits and drug traffickers have been active in Sistan-Baluchestan province. In December 2007, the Iranian police disbanded another terrorist group, killing four of its ringleaders in the ensuing clashes.

Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi

TEHRAN, Jan. 12--Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said his ministry will do its utmost to hold healthy parliamentary elections.
“Certain political groups, which are doubtful about healthy elections, should have reasons for their doubts. We can facilitate the election process and interpret laws in a way that serves the interest of the candidates and voters alike,“ Pour-Mohammadi told reporters on Friday, Presstv reported.
He added that the proper implementation of regulations and having clear plans for related activities are the bases for a healthy electoral process.
Pointing to the recent remarks of US President George W. Bush implying support for certain political groups in Iran, he said, “Support from such dubious quarters will be harmful to the reputation and credibility of any movement or group it may be directed at because, as a judicious nation, Iranians are highly sensitive to their cultural identity and independence, and will not allow others to interfere in their affairs.“
Pour-Mohammadi noted that the Interior Ministry would refer violators of regulations governing the elections to competent authorities to be duly dealt with, adding that electoral fraud would make people lose confidence in the electoral process.