'We don't want catwalk models here!' The woman who was barred from office for being too beautiful

• Nina  Siahkali Moradi finished 14th in the Qazvin city council  elections
• But the  27-year-old was told a week later all votes for her were nullified 
• The  election was held on the same day as Iranian presidential  elections
• New  President Hassan Rowhani has pledged to improve women's  rights

Iranian Nina Siahkali Moradi has been told she cannot  have a seat on her city's council because she is too beautiful for the  role

An Iranian woman has been told she cannot  have a seat on her city's council because she is too beautiful for the  role.

Nina Siahkali Moradi finished 14th out of 163 candidates in the Qazvin city council elections, polling an impressive 10,000 votes.

But even though the result should have gained  her a seat on the council, the 27-year-old candidate was disqualified with the  council leader saying: 'We don't want catwalk models here.'

According to the Independent, Ms Moradi had gained enough votes to become an  'alternative member of the council' - making her a first reserve.

When one councillor gave up his seat, Ms  Moradi should have been able to step in, but she was banned from doing  so.

She found out a week after the election on  June 14 that any votes cast for her had been nullified.

According to the International Campaign for  human Rights in Iran, her disqualification was as a result of her  'non-observance of Islamic codes'.

It has been suggested that her campaign  posters prompted some of the council's conservative elders to  complain.

Opponents to her candidacy said that she had  only been elected because because she is young and attractive.

But on the posters she is wearing the  required hijab and has only her face showing.

She also passed a series of rigourous checks  carried out prior to polling day carried out by a range of authorities including  the police, intelligence ministry and the judiciary.

The graduate student had campaigned under the  slogan 'Young Ideas for a Young Future'.

The Qazvin election took place on the same  day as the country's presidential election.

Ironically, the newly elected President  Hassan Rowhani has vowed to introduce new civil rights laws in the country,  promising to drastically improve women's rights.

New rights: Iran's new president Hassan Rowhani has said  that he will improve women's rights in the country