Iran judiciary chief accuses reformists after polls

Iran's judiciary chief had accused victorious reformists of Iran's latest elections of coordinating with foreigners to block hardliners from winning seats in leadership body, shortly after moderate President Hassan Rowhani's allies won all of the capital's 30 seats in parliament.

The judiciary chief's statement would appear to go against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who on Sunday evening praised what he called the “wise and determined” nation for its high participation in the polls, Tasnim news agency reported..

“I hope the next parliament will act responsibly towards people and God,” Khamenei said in a statement.

He made no direct comment on the result of the vote for the 290-seat parliament and the 88-seat experts assembly, which is tasked with choosing the supreme leader.

The pro-Rowhani List of Hope, led by reformist Mohammad Reza Aref, a former vice president, knocked the number one conservative candidate, Gholam-Ali Hadad Adel, into 31st place, sealing a whitewash, according to the preliminary results.

The tally showed Hadad Adel more than 6,000 votes behind the candidate in 30th place with the remaining 10 percent of ballots to be counted.

The results were based on around 2.6 million votes from a total of 2,900,000 in the capital, a key battleground.

Should the results be confirmed, it would also mean that all eight women on the List of Hope would be elected.

A total of 290 seats were up for grabs in Friday's election.

In the 260 seats in the provinces, the president's allies fared less well.

Out of the 56 constituencies outside the capital, 19 went to the main list of conservatives, nine to the pro-Rouhani list and 14 to independent candidates.

Of the independents, six had ties to conservatives, five to reformists and three were undeclared.
None of the remaining 14 seats had a clear winner, meaning a second round of voting will be needed, which is not expected until April or May.

‘No one can resist popular will’

In reaction, top Iranian pro-reform politician Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Twitter on Sunday that no one could resist the will of the people.

“No one is able to resist against the will of the majority of the people and whoever the people don’t want has to step aside,” his message said. Former president Rafsanjani, an ally of pragmatist Rowhani, is leading the race for membership of the influential Assembly of Experts, a body that chooses Iran’s most powerful figure, the supreme leader.