Vote of confidence: Rowhani, moderates make big gains in Iran polls

Analysts see preliminary results as a turning point for the country

TEHRAN: Iran’s President Hassan Rowhani won an emphatic vote of confidence and reformist partners secured surprise gains in parliament in early results from elections that could accelerate the country's emergence from years of isolation.

While gains by moderates and reformists in Friday's polls were most evident in capital Tehran, the sheer scale of the advances there suggests a legislature friendlier to pragmatist Rowhani has emerged as a distinct possibility.

A reformist-backed list of candidates aligned with Rowhani was on course to win all 30 parliamentary seats in Tehran, initial results released on Sunday showed. Top conservative candidate Gholamali Haddad Adel was set to lose his seat.



"The people showed their power once again and gave more credibility and strength to their elected government," Rowhani said.

The polls were seen by analysts as a potential turning point for the country, where nearly 60% of its 80 million population is under 30 and eager to engage with the world following the lifting of most sanctions.

"Based on the votes we have so far it looks like principlists will lose the majority in the next Majlis (parliament) shy of 50%.Reformists gained 30% and independent candidates did better than before, gaining 20%," said Foad Izadi, an assistant professor at the Faculty of World Studies in Tehran University. Principlists, otherwise known as hardliners, hold 65% of the outgoing parliament.

Izadi said the reformists' strong lead was prompted by Rowhani's success in reaching a nuclear agreement between Iran and international powers, the removal of most of the punitive sanctions that had strangled the country's economy over the past decade and restoration of relations with the West.

"It is a sweeping victory for Tehran but for other cities it is not yet clear cut. It is beyond expectations," he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29^th,  2016.