Iran’s government has been seeking to drum up enthusiasm among voters for tightly-controlled elections to choose members of parliament and the assembly that will appoint a successor to the 84-year-old Supreme Leader when he dies.
As Friday’s vote for the Assembly of Experts approaches, together with parliamentary elections, social media videos have circulated showing unexpected scenes: supporters of parliamentary candidates in small towns dancing to loud music at campaign events.
The public display, which would normally be banned, suggested an official attempt to lighten the public mood and encourage voting as the regime seeks to tread a fine line between narrowing the field of candidates and winning popular support.