Conservative victory in Iran a “defeat” for US
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has said the conservative election victory in the country was a ‘defeat’ for the US, Israeli Zionists and Tehran’s ‘enemies.’
He said the election was held amid a “bombardment of enemy propaganda”.
“The February 20 election, under the bombardment of enemy propaganda, had more importance than voting held under bombardment from Iraq.”
He added: “The judgement of American imperialists who have been talking nonsense about these elections is absolutely worthless.”
Conservatives won 133 out of the first 194 seats in the 290-seat Majlis, or Parliament, denting hopes that President Mohammad Khatami’s liberal reformers would continue to hold sway.
A total of 289 seats were at stake.
Reformists won only 37 seats, independents 17 and five went to religious minorities – Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians.
Conservative hegemony now appears secured in the short to medium term and reformers fear a backlash of hardline Islamic law in the aftermath of the vote.
Reformers branded the elections ‘unfair’ after more than 2,000 ‘liberal’ candidates were refused the right to stand by the 12-member Guardian Council. A further 1,179 contenders withdrew.
Mostafa Tajzadeh, leader of the main reformist party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), said his party boycotted the election because it was not free.
“Our belief from the outset that the conservatives would win was proved right.”
Vice-president Mohammad Ali Abtahi said the national turnout was about 50 per cent.
This figure is down on the 67 per cent four years ago when reformers took majority control of the parliament.
“These actions do not represent free and fair elections and are not consistent with international norms.”
