Khamenei gains ground in Iran’s parliamentary elections

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appeared to gain ground in his power struggle with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as preliminary results came in from parliamentary elections, CNN reported.Candidates from Khamenei's camp look set to capture about three-quarters of the seats, Iran's state-run Press TV reported Sunday, March 4 citing provisional results.

Ahmadinejad's sister Parvin lost her bid for a seat in the nation's parliamentary elections, Iranian media reported Saturday.

And prominent reformist lawmakers Mostafa Kavakebian, Mohammadreza Khabbaz and Qodratollah Alikhani lost their seats, Press TV said.

Vote counting in Friday's elections is complete in about 90% of constituencies, the network reported Sunday.

More than 64 percent of eligible voters streamed to the polls in large numbers, and election officials praised the exercise, in which about 3,400 candidates vied for Majlis seats.

It's first time Iranians are voting since allegations of rigging in the 2009 elections triggered mass street protests against President Ahmadinejad's reelection.