Iran blames coronavirus for low poll turn out

Iran declared a 42% turnout in its parliamentary election on Sunday, the lowest rate since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Its top leader, Ruhollah Khomeini said Tehran’s enemies played up the new coronavirus threat to dissuade people from voting.

With Iran facing growing isolation and threats of conflict over its nuclear standoff with the United States and increasing discontent at home, the turnout is seen as a referendum on the popularity of the Islamic republic’s rulers.

“The turnout across the country was 42.57% … In Tehran, it was around 25%. Across Iran, over 24 million people voted,” Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli told a televised news conference. Turnout was 62% in the 2016 parliamentary vote and 66% of voters cast ballots in 2012.

The final results, announced by the Interior Ministry, showed big gains by hardline loyalists close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on all state matters.