In Iran, the spotlight is on the June 14 presidential election. The crucial vote will determine the path the country will be taking for the next four years. This has to great extent undermined the city and village council elections which are set to be held on the same day as the presidential election. Since the victory of the Islamic revolution Iranians have gone to the polls three times to vote for the city and village councils. A fourth round was to be held in June 2010 but was postponed for three years according to a decision made by the parliament. This year 352 thousand hopefuls have registered to compete for 207 thousand seats around the country. Unlike other elections held in Iran, the Guardian Council is not responsible for the vetting process. Instead a parliamentary committee has to decide which of the candidates are qualified to run. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, on average one election has been held each year but the fourth round of city and village council elections is different in many ways. First and foremost it is going be the biggest election ever held in the history of Iran in terms of the number of candidates and the number of seats at stake. According to law any village with a population of over 100 should have its own council tasked with paving the way for the social, economic, and cultural development of the community that it represents. In this edition of the show we will be taking a closer look at the preparations made for this round of city and village council elections and the role these councils have played in the development of cities and villages and the services that they provide. Show Less >>