Tehran: Reformist and moderate politicians allied with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani won twice as many seats as their conservative rivals in the second round of parliamentary elections, official results said Saturday.
The reformist List of Hope that backs Rouhani gained 38 lawmakers in run-off polls that took place Friday, with conservatives winning 18 and independents 12, the interior ministry said.
The second ballot for 68 seats was needed as no candidate won the minimum 25 percent of votes in the first round of voting which took place on February 26, and its outcome will make the List of Hope the biggest single group in parliament when lawmakers are sworn in next month. In February, the moderate-reformist bloc dominated the vote in Tehran, securing all 30 seats there. But their support is less dominant outside the capital.
Deputy Interior Minister Hossein Ali Amiri told state TV that turnout in the runoff elections was 59 per cent, compared with 62 per cent in the original February elections. Some 17 million Iranians were eligible to vote.
