Reformists and moderate conservatives are leading in the race for parliament according to early election results, an indication president Hassan Rouhani may face a more friendly house to pursue his domestic agenda.
Early returns on Saturday morning from Friday’s parliamentary polls show that none of the three competing political factions will win a majority alone in the 290-seat parliament but reformists seeking greater democratic changes are heading to win their strongest presence in parliament since 2004, at the expense of hard-liners.
Officials are yet to release early results but reports in the semiofficial Fars and Mehr news agencies and a count conducted by the Associated Press show that hard-liners are the main losers of the vote.
Friday’s election for Iran’s parliament and a powerful clerical body known as the assembly of experts was the first since Iran’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers last year.
Iranians voted in unexpectedly large numbers, with polling hours extended.
The election was a key test of whether supporters of Hassan Rouhani, the president, can gain ground from conservatives and anti-western hardliners.
Experts say a high turnout – widely predicted to hit 70% – will favour the Rouhani camp. The president himself spoke of an “epic” turnout after casting his vote.
Full results are expected early next week.
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