90% of the new Iranian parliament was formed on Friday. The first session was set for May 27. The parliament consists of 290 members, 225 of whom were accepted after the first round of voting on March 2nd 2012.
130 candidates were running in 33 electoral districts in the second round. 40 out of 65 of 32 electoral districts (52 cities) have been elected (over 60%). Thus, 265 MPs have been elected. Voting counts in Tehran and three other Iranian cities are about to be concluded.
Iran concluded the second round of parliamentary polls at 8 pm. The Central Electoral Commission prolonged voting times twice, Mehr reports.
The head of the Shariah Expert Council, Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani, said that 33 years of voting experience in Iran demonstrates the active voting of the population.
Hashemi Rafsanjanii, Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council, expressed hope for realization of slogans promised.
Ayatollah Ahmadi Jannati, Secretary of the Council for Constitutional Monitoring, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were some of the first to vote.
Iranian Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani noted the active participation of the population in both rounds.
Ahmadinejad’s supporters got 8 seats, the opposition got 20, independent candidates got 11. Final results will be announced on Saturday.
Most candidates voted for on May 2 were conservatives and supporters of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Politicians of Ali Larijani and Tehran Mayor Mohamad Baher Kalibafu formed the United Conservative Front against Ahmadinejad. The Front for Continuation of the Islamic Revolution is opposing the conservative front, Larijani and Kalibaf.
Iran held presidential polls in June 2009. Ahmadinejad got over 60% of the votes back then. The opposition accused the government of falsifying the elections. Protests resulted in at least 30 people killed and a thousand arrested. The next presidential polls are planned for 2013. A president in Iran has only two terms of office.
