The action came after a candidate, Mohammad-Ali Chehregani, withdrew in protest to restrictions imposed by the regime during the second round of the Majlis election farce.
The Guards Corps and agents from the Ministry of Intelligence attacked the crowd, beating them with batons. The protesters clashed with the Guards, throwing molotov cocktails and stones at them. In the four-hour protest, at least 100 were arrested and taken to unknown locations. A significant number of people were also wounded.
In another development, yesterday afternoon, people clashed with the Pasdaran in the northern city of Qa'emshahr. Large groups of people were arrested or wounded. The atmosphere in the city is reported tense. Besides the Guards, at least 15 plain-clothed security agents are stationed at each polling station to maintain control.
Further reports indicate that in the afternoon hours, the polling stations remained deserted. For example in Tehran, less than 10 people had turned out in polling stations 137, 143, 169, 174, 178, 179, 234, 264, 298, 568, 578, 579, 583, 598, 620, 621, 624, 649, 650, 652-655, 674, 703, 758, 762, 763, 1109, 1121, 1131, 1132, 1242, 1243, 1246, 1253, 1254, 1354, 1713, 1714, 1757, 1799, 1808, 1814, 1836, 1837, 1846, 1865, 1866, 2638-2659, 2691, 2694, 2697, 2717, 2718, 2826, 2832, 2980 and 2988.
In each of the polling stations 1, 22, 25, 50-, 53, 56 and 56 in Orumieh, northwest Iran, at most five people voted. In Shiraz in polling stations 19, 24, 34, 91, 103, 121, 138, 165, 167 and 195, on the average four people showed up. in Mashad, in polling stations 112-120, 123, 130, 131, 223, 224, 228, 231, 301 and 302 less than 40 had voted. In Tabriz, polling stations 274-279 and 302-307 were deserted as less than three voters had cast their vote.
The regime's officials are furious over the complete boycott and have dispatched the Guards Corps and soldiers, dressed as civilians, to exaggerate the turn out.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran - Paris April 19, 1996
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