Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
March 16 2008

Beglarian elected as MP of Armenian minority of southern Iran

Isfahan, March 16, IRNA

Provincial election headquarters announced on Sunday that Robert
Beglarian was elected as the representative of Iran’s Christian
Armenian minority for southern Iran.

Beglarian won the majority of the received votes in the parliamentary
election held nationwide on March 14, the headquarters said in a
statement.

Beglarian won 2,503 ballots out of the total 2,583 votes cast, added
the statement.

Iran’s Christian Armenian minority consisted of two groups including
Armenians of Tehran and northern parts of Iran as well as those of
the southern parts of the country.

Beglarian represents Armenians of southern Iran.

Christian Armenians have two seats at Iran’s 290-seat parliament
while other religious minorities (Zoroastrians, Jews and Assyrians)
have one representative at the county’s legislative body.

About 3,000 of Christian Armenians of southern Iran were eligible to
vote.