Reformist allies of moderate President Hassan Rouhani won all 30 parliamentary seats in the Iranian capital, a major boost Sunday that pushed them into a nationwide lead in crucial elections.
Reformist allies of moderate President Hassan Rouhani won all 30 parliamentary seats in the Iranian capital, a major boost Sunday that pushed them into a nationwide lead in crucial elections.
Combined with results coming in from more than half the 290 seats up for grabs nationwide from Friday’s polls, the pro-Rouhani List of Hope was outpacing its conservative rivals overall. A clean sweep in Tehran was followed by steady gains elsewhere, according to preliminary results, in a major fillip for the President, signalling overwhelming public backing for his landmark nuclear deal with world powers last year that ended a 13-year standoff.
The election outcome is vital to Mr Rouhani’s chances of introducing domestic reform in the form of legislation capable of delivering even limited social, political and economic changes.
The coalition of moderates and reformists representing the President’s hopes was on course to wipe out conservatives in Tehran with 90 per cent of ballots counted.
In comments posted on Twitter beside a picture of smiling voters, young and old, he said: “With your skilful voting you’ve created a new atmosphere. In respect, I stand up before you, great nation, who are the pride of the history of the land of Iran.”
The elections are Iran’s first since sanctions were lifted last month under the nuclear agreement, which included unprecedented talks with the United States, the Islamic republic’s bete noire since a revolution in 1979 overthrew a US-backed monarchy.
A rout in the capital was completed when state television said the head of the conservative list, Gholam-Ali Hadad Adel, a former parliament speaker, was in 31st place and set to lose his seat. Elsewhere, where 135 seats out of 260 have been declared so far, 38 went to the main conservative list and 30 to the List of Hope. A further 36 seats went to independents — of whom 16 are known to lean towards conservatives and 13 are close to reformists, with the others of no clear affiliation.
None of the remaining 31 seats had a clear winner, meaning a second round of voting will be needed, which is not expected until April or May.
Preliminary results from Friday’s second election, for the powerful Assembly of Experts which monitors the work of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were also heading Rouhani’s way, and could see top conservative clerics eliminated.
The early results seal a stunning comeback for reformists, long sidelined after the disputed re-election in 2009 of hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which was followed by bloody street protests in which dozens were killed. Reformists said that ballot was rigged and their two defeated candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, have been under house arrest since 2011.
Meanwhile, top Iranian pro-reform politician Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, in a message two days after elections, said on Twitter on Sunday that no one could resist the will of the people.
“No one is able to resist against the will of the majority of the people and whoever the people don’t want has to step aside,” the message said. Former President Rafsanjani, an ally of Mr Rouhani, is leading the race for membership of the influential Assembly of Experts, a body that chooses the supreme leader.
