SHEMIRANAT, Tehran Prov. -- Chairman of the Expediency Council (EC) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani here on Friday said that the local councils would only be successful if factional bickering and infighting were avoided and the interests of the nation were taken into account.

Rafsanjani, talking to IRNA after casting his vote at Iran's second city and village council elections, said the experience of the first councils should be regarded as merely a passing development, and hoped the shortcomings and flaws be removed during the course of second councils.

He stressed that although certain first councils had been successful, several others turned out a failure, and that some had even proved harmful.

He called on the Iranian nation to Abandon their grudges with the overall status of the country, and participate in the elections.

The former Iranian president said a strong public participation in the council elections could in turn enable the councils to have a positive performance.

Rafsanjani added that he knew the candidates well, and that his criteria of voting for certain candidates had been based on his personal knowledge.

He further said each council in its constituency should devise approaches to serve the public, and said a massive turnout at the polls would facilitate the affairs of the councils.