Iran’s new parliament will have more women than clerics when its members are sworn in this month, a first in the Islamic republic and a sign of the country’s evolving politics. Official results Saturday showed that reformist and moderate politicians allied with President Hassan Rouhani won a big victory in second round parliamentary elections. The outcome saw them outnumber their conservative rivals — many hardliners lost seats — for the first time since 2004 and capped a remarkable comeback for reformists after years of isolation.
After the second round of elections a record 17 women will become lawmakers in the 290-seat parliament — one more than the number of clerics, which has hit an all time low.
In the first parliament that followed the Islamic revolution in 1979 there were 164 clerics elected.
Some of the country’s most prominent politicians are clerics and have previously been lawmakers including Rouhani who was an MP between 1980 and 2000.
Full Article: Iran’s new parliament has more women than clerics.