Iranian Politics

Via RFE-RL (link will expire), I see that Iran's next parliamentary elections will be on February 20. I also see that the Council of Guardians is moving ahead with their plans to create regional offices. The C of G is responsible for vetting candidates for elections, and I've been taking this expansion of that branch of the government as a sign the hard-liners are looking to expand their influence. I'm not sure where this will lead to them rejecting more candidates for office, or whether they are preparing to move into local politics. In the actual elections, the key number to watch will be turn-out...if it is relatively high, that will show Iranian still have faith that the existing power structure can reform from within.