| Islamic conservatives hostile to President Mohammad Khatami’s liberal reforms swept towards a predictable victory over shackled reformists on Saturday after a disputed parliamentary election with a sharply reduced turnout. Interior Ministry figures showed conservatives won 133 of the first 194 provincial seats declared, Deputy Parliament Speaker Behzad Nabavi said. A total of 289 seats were at stake. Reformists won 37, independents 17 and five were reserved for Iran’s religious minorities — Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians. In 31 districts where no candidate polled more than 25 percent, there will be a run-off later. There was not one woman among the first 194 lawmakers elected. There were 13 in the outgoing parliament. Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi said the national turnout was about 50 percent and in Tehran just 29 percent, sharply down on the 67 percent who voted nationwide in 2000, when President Mohammad Khatami’s reformist allies won two-thirds of the seats. |