Agence France-Presse . Tehran

Campaigning began in Iran on Thursday for parliamentary elections to take place on March 2, with officials and state media calling for a big turnout to counter ‘enemies’ threats’ against the regime.

It will be the Islamic republic’s first national poll since the controversial 2009 re-election of the president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A total of 3,444 vetted candidates are vying for the 290 seats in the parliament, known as the Majlis, to be decided by an electorate of 48 million voters.

Conservatives, who dominate the outgoing legislature, are expected to secure most of the seats despite being scattered across several lists because of the lack of any broad alliance uniting the various factions.

The main reformist blocs have been banned or have decided to boycott the elections to protest against the severe crackdown against their supporters since Ahmadinejad’s re-election that has led to their principal leaders being placed under house arrest.