Iran: Youth vote drives election victory for moderates and reformists

Mar 05, 2016, 16:03

One of the Obama Administration's hopes for its nuclear deal with Iran was that it would empower regime moderates.

Countrywide parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections were held in Iran on Friday. "It's time to open a new chapter in Iran's economic development based on domestic abilities and worldwide opportunities", Rouhnai said, according to the official Irna news agency.

Two leading hardline ayatollahs, Mohammad Yazdi and Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, have lost their seats on Iran's top clerical body, results from last week's election confirmed on Monday.

The election to the 88-member Assembly of Experts is important because it will pick Khamenei's successor if he dies during its eight-year term.

BBC Persian's Kasra Naji says the president's emphasis on co-operation is at odds with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who had said before the elections that he wanted a parliament that would stand up to the West.

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Principlists, otherwise known as hardliners, hold 65 percent of the outgoing parliament and the rest is divided between reformists and independents who traditionally support Rouhani.

The clean sweep was a major fillip for the president, signalling overwhelming public backing in the capital for his landmark nuclear deal with world powers last year that ended a 13-year standoff. Millions thronged polling stations hoping to secure changes to their benefit and prevent hardliners - who oppose the nuclear deal and political engagement with the West - from winning the contest.

Around the country, pro-Rouhani candidates and others considered "moderate conservatives" took a majority of the 290-member parliament, according to the Associated Press. Since sanctions have been lifted, Europeans have shown great interest in increasing business in the country, though many American businesses remain restricted by other USA sanctions on Tehran related to terrorism and human rights charges.

The electoral victory vindicates the policies pursued by Iran's reformist president, Hassan Rouhani, who has thawed relations with Western powers.

"This was a win by centrists - particularly President Rouhani - with some reformist window dressing", geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer, president of the political risk firm Eurasia Group, told Business Insider.

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The most surprising was the loss of seats on the clerical assembly for some prominent hard-liners, including Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, the current Experts Assembly chief who was not re-elected.

Still, the parliament vote isn't expected to herald large-scale change in Iranian foreign policy, and it's extremely unlikely that the winners will propose structural reforms to reduce the role of Islam in government or law.

He added: "People said in a clear voice to the world: 'We want moderation, not extremism.' And they said in a loud voice: 'We want interaction with the world, not confrontation'".

Early results gave former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a moderate conservative, and Mr Rouhani the most votes for the assembly, which is composed of mostly elder and senior clerics.

Mehrnaz Hemmati, a 21-year-old tailor shop worker, said she voted for the coalition of reformists and moderates - and won't celebrate until final results are announced.

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Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said turnout was 62%, meaning about 33 million Iranians went to the polls.