Measures of flocking people to Tehran to pack polling stations has been covered even by state-run media outlets, forcing senior officials in Iran to respond.
“The discussion heard these days over the twin elections is the possibility of a large number of people being sent to Tehran to vote for the [hardliners],” the state-run ILNA news agency reported.
A regime official in the Tehran governorate threatened rival factions and said flocking people from other cities and towns to Tehran to vote is a “violation”, and “actions will be taken” against those responsible.
“Special Interior Ministry inspectors and governorate representatives in all polling stations should inform us immediately if such scenes are witnessed, and we will take action immediately,” he added.
Prior to this Hassan Rouhani’s interior minister had emphasized the organized transfer of a million people to Tehran to take part in the February 26th elections is a violation of the law. “If such measures are found to be organized and specifically motivated, then we will definitely take action,” Rahmani Fazli added.
Despite these remarks, the Interior Ministry issued a statement on election day saying anyone can cast their ballots in any city they wish.
Rasoul Montajabnia, a member of the Rafsanjani-Rouhani had said prior to the sham twin elections that Khamenei’s faction had held “secret sessions” focused on flocking “one million people” aimed at increasing the votes of their own candidates in Tehran’s precincts.