News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMinewar-on-terroriraniran-radicalizing — Viewing Item


Hardliners reformists both claim victory in iran elections { February 21 2004 }

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/02/21/international1647EST0558.DTL

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/02/21/international1647EST0558.DTL

Hard-liners, reformists, both claim victory in Iran's elections, measuring seats and voter turnout
BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, February 21, 2004
©2004 Associated Press

(02-21) 15:12 PST TEHRAN, Iran (AP) --

Islamic hard-liners and reformists both claimed victory in Iran's elections Saturday, with returns showing conservatives ahead in the race for parliament but a reformist boycott limiting voter turnout.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the winner of the election was the Iranian nation. He was upbeat about voter turnout, even though it marked a drop from previous elections.

"The loser of this election is the United States, Zionism and enemies of the Iranian nation," he told state media.

A reformist who called for a boycott, Ali Shakourirad, pointed to a voter turnout of less than 30 percent in the capital, Tehran, calling the poll "a big defeat for conservatives."

Official partial returns also suggested the boycott had an impact elsewhere in the country, with voter turnout some 15 percent lower than in elections four years ago.

That trend, if it holds, would mark a significant moral victory for liberals who urged a boycott after hard-line clerics barred some 2,400 reformist from running for the 290-seat parliament.

Conservatives hoped people would ignore the boycott, showing the strength of the Islamic state 25 years after the revolution that ousted the secular, pro-Western shah. Reformists hoped low turnout would strengthen their drive for openness and accountability.

Reformists have complained that the vote was rigged, and the United States also criticized the disqualifications of candidates including the biggest names in liberal politics. Among them was Mohammad Reza Khatami, the brother of Iran's reformist president and deputy speaker of the outgoing parliament.

In the 2000 elections, hard-liners lost control of the parliament for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. But when the next legislature convenes in June, they should have a comfortable majority.

Results for nearly 60 percent of the legislature gave hard-liners more than 110 seats -- 36 short of the majority they were widely expected to get, the Interior Ministry said.

In Tehran, hard-liners won about 25 of the 30 seats declared so far, according to results broadcast on television.

With the ballot weighted with conservatives, coupled with the reformist boycott, Islamic hard-liners were likely to win from the start. Voter turnout was the real drama in Saturday's race.

Voter turnout was 43.29 percent, the Interior Ministry said, with about half of Iran's 207 districts counted. That would mark a big drop from the 67.2 percent in the last parliament elections in 2000.

Government officials tried to put the turnout in the best light.

"Those who were overly influenced by the political situation failed to predict the people's enthusiastic participation," Information Minister Ali Yunesi told state-run television.

"The people's blessed and magnificent participation in yesterday's elections foiled plots and guaranteed the country's greatness."

Even before the vote, Rajab Ali Mazrouli, a leading member of the pro-reform Islamic Participation Front, had predicted the low turnout but conceded that hard-liners would probably take control of parliament.

"Most of the winners this time are conservatives," he said. "It was a race without competition."

A victory for conservatives also consolidate hard-line control at a sensitive time in the Middle East. In Iraq, Shiite Muslims are pressing for early elections and look to predominantly Shiite Iran for backing. The United States and its allies, meanwhile, are questioning Iran's denials about seeking nuclear arms technology.

More than 46 million people ages 15 and over were eligible to vote. Voting was extended for four hours in an attempt to get every last ballot.

State television and radio broadcast a nonstop series of reports and appeals aimed at stirring voters. Senior Islamic clerics described voting as a religious duty.

©2004 Associated Press




American gestures to iran causes repression of freedom { March 23 2006 }
Britain begins threatening iran { October 6 2005 }
Bush eases on iran policy
Cia says iran elections portend new era of repression { February 25 2004 }
Cleric warns of iran topple { June 3 2002 }
Data is lacking on iran arms { March 9 2005 }
Ealges songs regularly on iran broadcasts
EU warns iran possible UN sanctions { March 11 2005 }
General electric halts new business in iran
General says iran war plans routine { February 10 2005 }
Hardliners reformists both claim victory in iran elections { February 21 2004 }
Iran and iraq shiites unite against iraqi sunnis { August 21 2005 }
Iran calls blast scare psychological warfare from US
Iran cracks down on womens dress
Iran defends planned holocaust conference
Iran says europe should take back jews
Iran students disrupt ahmadinejad speech { November 2006 }
Iranian student protesters hiding in fear { December 18 2006 }
One third iran parliament members resign
Pentagon analyst aggresive on iran convincted for espionage { January 20 2006 }
Prewar iraq intelligence predicted iran benefits { May 23 2007 }
Senator says bush created stronger iran { January 2007 }
Top dissident cleric critcizes president ahmadinejad
US doesnt want to resolve issues with iran
US funding undermines progressives in iran { October 11 2007 }
US funds iran opposition { March 4 2005 }
US pressure radicalized iran { April 3 2007 }
Western bluster helped hardliner take power { April 3 2007 }

Files Listed: 28



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple