Iran: Ahmadinejads reformist, moderate opponents with big early lead

[democratic]

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Early returns Saturday showed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's opponents leading in elections for local councils and a powerful clerical body, widely considered a test of popular approval.

Former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, considered an Ahmadinejad opponent, was leading in the Assembly of Experts election in Tehran, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The assembly is a body of 86 senior clerics that monitors Iran's supreme leader and chooses his successor.

Iran started having council elections after a reform introduced in 1999 by President Mohammed Khatami.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=8afd6782-6f8b-45eb-aa81-7fda6dcca95a&k=95180

[bemildred]

1. Good. Let's hope it holds up. nt

[geek tragedy]

2. Let's hope Iranians give him a good thumpin. eom

[oberliner]

3. Reformist, Moderate Opponents?

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf is no moderate.

[democratic]

4. What

Do you do when you have a list of pre-picked Christian coalition members? You have to vote for the least radical.

[oberliner]

5. right

but I wouldn't get too excited about any of them

[barb162]

7. I hear you , but anyone less radical that that jerk....

[Jack Rabbit]

8. Less radical?

I'll settke for more sane.

[barb162]

13. me too

But sanity is not his problem. The really frightening thing about this guy is he's not insane, he's not hallucinating, etc.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. Very good news

Thank you, Iranian people.

[Heidi]

9. Kick.

:kick:

[Purveyor]

10. Early Results: Iran's Conservatives Lead

TEHRAN, Iran - Early returns on Saturday showed hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's conservative opponents leading in elections for local councils and a powerful clerical body, widely considered a test of popular approval for the hardline leader.

Ahmadinejad's anti-Israel rhetoric and staunch stand on Iran's nuclear program are believed to have divided the conservatives who voted him into power. Some conservatives feel Ahmadinejad has spent too much time confronting the West and failed to deal with Iran's struggling economy.

Tehran newspapers and semiofficial news agencies reported unofficial results Saturday showing that no single party would be able to claim outright victory in Friday's elections, partly because of divisions within the conservative faction.

Iran's political scene is broadly split between conservative and pro-reform camps.

Officials have said preliminary results are expected Sunday, with final results coming Monday or later.

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2006/12/17/ap/international/d8m27t5o0.txt

[Eugene]

11. AFP: Ahmadinejad allies fail to sweep Iran vote

Ahmadinejad allies fail to sweep Iran vote

2 hours, 25 minutes ago

TEHRAN (AFP) - Ultra-conservatives close to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
have failed to sweep twin Iranian elections with embattled moderate forces
recording a respectable performance, initial results have showed.

Centrist cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani appeared to have sprung a surprise
by reaping by far the most votes and beating a hardline rival in the election
for the Assembly of Experts, the body that chooses the supreme leader.

In the keenly-watched race for Tehran city council, reformists were on course
to take a handful of seats and end total conservative domination of the body
which has prevailed since the last local vote in February 2003.

-snip-

While moderates are still far from the force they were under Khatami's presidency
-- when at one point reformists dominated parliament and local councils -- the
results will provide some encouragement for their leaders.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061217/wl_afp/iranvote_061217101315

[bemildred]

12. "fail to sweep" is less than I was hoping for.

But I guess you have to take it one step at a time, just like here in the USA.