Early results of Friday’s parliamentary elections in Iran show fundamentalists critical of president Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad in the lead. Analysts, however, are cautious in calling this a major defeat for Iran’s president, and stress his political weight in the next 290-seat parliament remains unclear. In more than 30 constituencies, including the capital Tehran, some candidates failed to attract more than 25 per cent of the vote, the minimum needed to win a race. Second-round elections will be held for each of these seats.
Iran’s president has fallen foul of the regime after he decided last year to challenge the authority of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader who is supposed to be obeyed unconditionally, triggering an unprecedented power struggle.
The United Fundamentalists Front, an umbrella group of moderate and more hardline candidates who support Ayatollah Khamenei and are the most outspoken critics of the president, has so far won more seats than other group in the parliament. The Stability of Islamic Revolution Front, which represents the most radical segment of Iran’s hardliners, has come second. The group is less critical of the president than the United Front.
Full Article: Second round needed in Iran election – FT.com.