President Rouhani's allies win 2nd round of Iran parliament elections

PanARMENIAN.Net - Reformist and moderate politicians allied with President Hassan Rouhani won second round parliamentary elections in Iran, unofficial results said Saturday, April 30 opening the door to them controlling the legislature, AFP reports.

The outcome, if confirmed officially, would represent a dramatic political realignment in the Islamic republic, with conservative MPs likely being outnumbered by their rivals for the first time since 2004.

It would also be a huge public vote of confidence for Rouhani, who won a landslide election victory in 2013 and went on to clinch a historic deal with world powers over Tehran's nuclear programme that lifted sanctions.

Voting was extended Friday in the second round elections for almost a quarter of parliament's seats in what was a crucial showdown between reformists and conservatives seeking to influence the country's future.

The result could open a delicate path to limited social and cultural change after an era of diplomatic clashes over the nuclear program that, before Rouhani, had left Iran highly isolated, AFP says.

It is also likely to herald a parliament that supports the government -- the current conservative-dominated chamber has repeatedly blocked Rouhani's initiatives and even impeached one of his ministers.

The president's backers made huge gains in the first round of elections, on February 26, when voters drove many conservatives out of the parliament, but still scored eight seats less than them overall.