Iran's speaker calls for massive turnout in presidential election

TEHRAN, June 3 -- Iran's Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani

urged on Wednesday for a massive turnout in the country's upcoming presidential

election which will be a sign of might, the semi-official Fars news agency

reported.

"A massive public participation would increase Iran's might in the eyes of

other world countries," Larijani was quoted as saying.

"All the countries have an eye on Iran's election and (people's)presence at

the ballot boxes will slash the material and nonmaterial costs of the Islamic

Republic in the future," Larijanisaid in Iran's central province of Qom.

On Tuesday, Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

also called for massive turnout in the presidential election.

"The enemy is concerned about massive turnout of the people in election,"

Rafsanjani said.

Regardless of which political camp to achieve victory, the Iranian high

ranking officials have always reiterated their encouraging rhetoric for the

maximum participation of people in the country's diverse elections.

The 10th presidential election of Iran is slated for June 12. Two reformist

candidates -- former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi and former Parliament

Speaker Mehdi Karroubi, and two conservatives -- incumbent President Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad and former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezaei, will compete

for the new presidency.