Ahmadinejad rivals win majority in parliament

DHAKA: Final results for many constituencies in Iran’s parliamentary runoff elections show conservative rivals of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad winning a solid majority of seats and cementing their hold on the legislature.

The parliament has no direct control over major policy matters like Iran’s nuclear programme, but it can influence the run-up to the election of Ahmadinejad’s successor in 2013.

Of 65 seats for grabs in Friday’s runoff election, Ahmadinejad’s opponents won 20 while the president’s supporters got only 8 seats.

Independents won 11, according to the state media early Saturday.

Results for the rest were expected later in the day.

Ahmadinejad’s opponents had already won an outright majority in the 290-member legislature in the first round of voting in March.

BDST: 1504 HRS, MAY 5, 2012

Edited by Robab Rosan, Cultural Affairs Editor