This election was particularly important for Iran as it comes right after President Rouhani signed a landmark nuclear deal with the world powers, that also saw United Nations lifting sanctions against the country.
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Only hardliner Ahmad Jannati, also the leader of the Guardian Council, which vets prospective election candidates, managed to win re-election in Tehran to the expert assembly, coming in last place in the capital district. “Overall, I think that this will allow the government of the President Rouhani to pursue its reforms and plans more effectively, first of all, of course, in the economy”.
The elections held in Iran last Friday have strengthened the faction of the Islamic Republic’s bourgeois ruling elite that favours speedy rapprochement with Washington and has spearheaded the push for neo-liberal restructuring. Independents won 44 seats in parliament.
The Assembly of Experts remains dominated by conservatives, but reformists and moderates have had symbolic victories.
The results from Iran’s parliamentary elections haven’t been released yet, but some triumphant language has accompanied the anticipated tallies, which indicate a surge for Iranian moderates. The influential body monitors the work of Supreme Leader Khamenei, who has final say on Iran’s foreign policy, and could choose the next supreme leader.
Several MPs who were vehement critics of Mr Rouhani’s nuclear deal and diplomacy with the West lost their seats, with voters flocking instead to the List of Hope.
Although the fight for parliament is centre stage, the election for the Assembly of Experts is being closely watched because its members could pick the Iran’s next supreme leader should the incumbent, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, die during its eight-year term.
Meanwhile, a report by Iranian state media last week charged that a government crackdown on drugs had led to the execution of every single male inhabitant of a village in southern Iran. Final results weren’t expected until late Sunday or Monday.
The elections were seen as a crucial indicator of the future direction Iranians want for their country.
Although the president’s allies did not secure a majority in parliament, they made significant gains that are likely to make passing legislation much easier. The deal is expected to open up trade and commerce opportunities for the country. They partly achieved their main goal – the voting out of two of the three strong conservative personalities in the assembly, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, its president, and Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, a figure long openly hostile to reformists.
More than 90 percent of the votes have been counted and List of Hope, proponents of President Hassan Rouhani, appears likely to take all 30 parliamentary seats.
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Iranian Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani said the high turnout during the elections, which were reportedly extended to accommodate significant amounts of latecomers, presents “a clear message for Western countries that our people defend the country’s Establishment and leadership in unison”. A second major calculation was that U.S. diplomatic and Western economic engagement with Iran would enable Washington to better explore and exploit cleavages within the Islamic Republic ruling elite, so as to force it to unreservedly accept USA hegemony over the Middle East, or lay the political groundwork for regime-change in Tehran.
