Iranian newspapers have been divided in their coverage of the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for February 21. Reformist papers initially focused on the Guardian Council’s disqualification of 90 incumbent lawmakers and the vast majority of reformist candidates. Reformist papers also highlighted President Hassan Rouhani’s criticism of the stringent vetting, which worked in favor of hardliners. One daily, Aftab-e Yazd, commented on the mass disqualification with the headline, “Conservatives’ Hot Competition with Conservatives,” on February 12. 

Conservative and hardline papers largely focused on leaders’ calls for a high turnout in the election. The regime cites voter participation as a reflection of public support. The following is a reverse chronological sampling of election coverage.

 

February 19

Abrar (conservative newspaper):

• Politician: Reformists Far from Society’s Pulse

 

Aftab-e Yazd (reformist newspaper):

• Leader Urges People to Create Strong Parliament with Their Huge Turnout in Elections

 

Etemad Newspaper:

• Reformist Member of Parliament Predicts Strong Minority

 

Hamshahri (centrist newspaper):

• Iran’s Supreme Leader: Friends and Foes All Focused on Iran Elections

 

Javan (hardline newspaper):

• Weak Parliament to Have Long-Term Negative Effect: Supreme Leader

 

Kayhan (hardline newspaper):

• Supreme Leader: People Must Choose Lawmakers Carefully; Some Have Become Servants of the United States

 

Sazandegi (centrist newspaper):

• Unity among Reformists

• Failure of Conservatives’ Unity

 

Shahrvand (reformist newspaper):

• Iran Leader: Don’t Worry, People Will Know What to Do

 

February 18

Etemad (reformist newspaper)

• Election Turnout; Right or Duty?

• Reformism Does Not Reach Dead-end: Abdollah Ramazanzadeh

 

February 17

 

Etemad (reformist newspaper):

• Rouhani: We’d Lose If We Boycott Elections

 

Ettela’at (centrist newspaper):

• Judiciary Chief: General [Qassem] Soleimani Didn’t Consider People’s Vote as Ceremonial

 

February 16

 

Ebtekar (centrist newspaper):

• The Great Coalition of Reformists

 

February 12

 

Aftab-e Yazd (reformist newspaper):

 

• Conservatives’ Hot Competition with Conservatives!

 

Etemad (reformist newspaper):

• Rouhani: We Shouldn’t Boycott Elections

 

Iran (conservative newspaper):

• Rouhani: Elections, Ballot Box Will Save Us

 

Shahrvand (reformist newspaper):

• Rouhani: Election Most Important Fruit of Revolution

 

February 10

 

Sazandegi (centrist newspaper):

• Return of Reformists

• Some Reformist Parties Will Field Candidates for Iran Elections 2020

 

February 6

 

Kayhan (hardline newspaper):

• Don’t Make People Discouraged about Elections by Telling Lies: Leader

 

Shargh (reformist newspaper):

• Supreme Leader: People’s Complaints Not about Election Itself

 

February 5

 

Shargh (reformist newspaper):

• Reformists Say Won’t Field Candidates for Iran Elections 2020

 

February 3

 

Ettela’at (centrist newspaper):

• Rouhani: It’s Against Imam Khomeini’s Will to Discourage People from Voting

 

Kayhan (hardline newspaper):

• Number of Reformist Candidates This Time Several Times More than Previous Elections

 

February 2

 

Ebtekar (centrist newspaper):

• Too Many Conservative Candidates for Parliamentary Votes Makes It Difficult for Them to Unite

 

Etemad (reformist newspaper):

• Rouhani: It Was Imam Khomeini Who Said Political Structure Must Be Put to Referendum

 

Ettela’at (centrist newspaper):

• Guardian Council: Half of Parliamentary Candidates Qualified to Run

 

Javan (hardline newspaper):

• 2,000 Disqualified Candidates Return to Election

 

January 24

Arman-e Melli (reformist newspaper):

• Rouhani: We’ll Get Nowhere If Only One Faction Is Satisfied in Elections

 

Jomhouri Eslami (conservative newspaper):

• Rouhani: Election Must Be Competitive