The Hindu : A tussle between reformists, hardliners

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 21, 2004

International

International

A tussle between reformists, hardliners

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA, FEB. 20. Iran's parliamentary elections took place today, under the shadow of a grim tussle for legitimacy and power between entrenched hardliners and reformists.

The main reformist party, the Islamic Iran participation Front (IIPF), which played a leading role in getting a three fourth majority in the outgoing 290 member Majlis (Parliament) had issued a call for a poll boycott, in protest against a decision by a conservative supervisory body to disqualify key reformers from contesting.

The IIPF, led by Mohammad Reza Khatami, brother of the Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, said that a poor turnout would widen the "gap between the regime and the people", thus denting the legitimacy of the seventh Majlis.

The hardline Guardians Council had barred 2,300 candidates from standing in the elections. In addition, officials said of the 5,625 approved candidates, 1,179 had dropped out. Despite the distinct possibility that individuals aligned to the conservatives will dominate the Majlis, the reformist camp has not boycotted the election.

The President, in fact, asked voters to turnout in large numbers, so as to deny the hardliners from sweeping the polls. Casting his ballot today, Mr. Khatami said, "What is important now is that people participate." The `centrists' within the reformists, have therefore, contested 200 of the 290 parliamentary seats under the banner, "Coalition for Iran". Iran has 46.3 million eligible voters and all above 15 can vote.

In the parliamentary elections held four years ago, two-thirds of the eligible voters had turned out to vote. The first results are expected on Saturday, but a definite tally is likely only several days later. A second round might be necessary if no candidate in a given district wins 25 per cent of the vote. Faced with the challenge from reformists and realising that getting more people to vote would be crucial, the conservatives have been making a special effort to exhort a larger turnout.

The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, this morning called for a massive participation in the elections, stressing that, "Today is a particularly significant day, because the enemies are trying hard to stop the people from going to the ballot boxes."

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