TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's interior minister says 5,395 potential candidates have registered for the March parliamentary elections.
Each application will be screened by the hard-line constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, before a candidate is allowed to run.
Mostafa Mohammad Najjar says the week-long registration ended Friday evening. His comments were posted on the ministry's website.
The March 2 vote for the 290-seat assembly will be fought between supporters and opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Major reformist parties have said they won't field any candidates because basic requirements for a free and fair elections have not been met.
The elections are unlikely to change Iran's course, which is determined by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
