Tehran, IRNA – More than 350 foreign reporters are present in Iran to cover the news of the country’s national elections, according to an announcement by the media affairs and advertising department of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

The announcement said on Friday that the foreign reporters are from 160 different media of 20 countries.

The parliamentary elections and the election for the Assembly of Experts started in Iran at 8:00 o’clock local time (4:30 GMT) on Friday.

A total of 61,172,298 individuals are eligible to vote in the elections, 30,945,133 of whom are men and the rest 30,227,165 are women, according to an announcement by the country’s election headquarters.

About 15,000 candidates will compete in the 12th parliamentary elections, 12% of whom are women and 88% are men. Additionally, 144 individuals have been qualified to compete in the elections of the Assembly of Experts.

Voters will elect 290 representatives for Majlis (the Iranian Parliament) and 88 representatives for the Assembly of Experts.

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