Iran has started candidate pre-registration for the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 1, 2024, urging those interested to start the process of vetting.

Thousands of people usually apply to be approved as candidates in Iran’s legislative elections, but most are disqualified by the constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, and the interior ministry.

Any aspirant for candidacy must first be a loyal supporter of the clerical regime. No critics or dissidents have ever received approval to run in elections. However, the highly controversial vetting reached a new level of discrimination in the 2020 parliamentary elections, when most moderate regime insiders were also banned. The result was a parliament dominated by ultraconservative hardliners.

Candidate registration usually takes place one month before the vote, but this year the government has decided to launch early registration that will last one week. The scheme seems to be designed to create an aura of a more democratic electoral environment, but in practical terms it changes nothing in the vetting process. It will also allow more time for the government to check the background of those who pre-register.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi Sunday urged prospective candidates to register now but resign in the final official registration.

In Tehran, analysts, as well as many regime politicians, have been warning that, following the 2020 experience, only hardliners are likely to register for March 2024. This will hurt the credibility and the legitimacy of the next parliament, amid an already tense political environment after months of popular protests.

Many have urged the government to organize a more inclusive vote, allowing reformists and moderates to compete next year.