Iranian reformist ex-president calls on supporters to vote

Tehran: Iran's former reformist president has called on Iranians to cast their vote in the upcoming election despite a ban preventing many reformist candidates from running.

In a statement issued yesterday Mohammad Khatami called on his supporters to vote in the February 26 parliamentary elections to serve the national interest.

Khatami remains influential among reformist Iranians, and particularly among young people and women, although state media is prevented from publishing his comments.

On Saturday the Guardian Council, Iran's hard-line constitutional watchdog, reversed a ban on 1,500 parliamentary candidates, but reformists still complain that most of their candidates have been disqualified.

The elections are expected to be a show down between hard-liners and moderates, who are hoping for an electoral boost following the newly-implemented nuclear deal and lifting of international sanctions.