A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Jamal Aref, in a conference with provincial governors, stated that the Ministry’s planning for the elections was focused on promoting the political process and encouraging participation. The Ministry of Interior, which also controls the police and internal security, is responsible for running elections, counts all votes and confirms results, as there is no electoral body in Iran that is legally independent from the state. Aref’s comments were in the context of the Presidential election and local council elections, which will take place on the same day
