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Khatami supporters move to commanding lead

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, February 21, 2000

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Supporters of Iranian President Mohammed Khatami continued on Sunday to build a commanding lead in parliamentary elections.

By mid-Sunday, analysts were saying reformist candidates aligned with Khatami would win 75 percent of the 290 seats in the parliament.

Conservatives trailed behind while the party led by former President Hashemi Rafsanjani was believed to be in last place.

With a turnout reported at 83 percent, Khatami supporters claimed victories in every major Iranian city, including Mashhad and Qoms, the seat of Shi'ite Islam and the stronghold of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Among the losers were top conservative members of parliament.

The outgoing parliament was composed of roughly 120 conservatives, 80 reformers and 70 independents. In Teheran, where the votes were still being counted on Sunday, pro-Khatami forces won at least half of the 30 parliamentary seats. This included the brother of the Iranian president, Mohammed Reza Khatami.

The elections have been marred by violence in southern Iran. Residents of the Iranian towns of Shadegan and Shush accused incumbents of buying votes to win Friday's elections.

"Whatever the results, the most immediate gain from this is a wonderful victory for the great nation, which with its presence added another golden page to the book of its destiny," Khatami said in a message to voters. "You cultured people showed that you are still moving toward strengthening the system, whose pillars remain Islam and spirituality, independence, freedom and progress."

U.S. officials said they were pleased by the unofficial results. Official results are expected to take another 10 days until they are released.

"We were very pleased by the fact that the voter turnout was so high," U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said: "The Iranian people, clearly, by going to the polls in such large numbers, have demonstrated their eagerness to use the electoral process to make their voices heard and to chart their country's political direction. Their enthusiasm is testimony to the growing strength of democracy in Iran, which we do welcome."

A Jewish woman, Hilda Rafeizadeh, is running in Shiraz for one of the parliamentary seats. Ms. Rafeizadeh, 47, a tour guide, said the Jewish constituency is supporting her candidacy.

Shiraz is the city in which 13 Jews were arrested and accused of spying for Israel and the United States. Iranian sources expect the 13 to be released within the next 10 days.

Ms. Rafeizadeh told the official Islamic Republic News Agency that she hoped that just as three suspects have been released on bail "others will also be released in the near future."

In the parliament, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrian have one seat. Assyrians and Caledonians have an additional seat. The Jewish seat is being contested by four candidates.

As votes were being counted, the Baghdad-based Iranian opposition group, Mujahdeen Khalq, attacked an Iranian border bost. Iranian television said three soldiers were injured in Friday night's attack in western Iran.

Thursday, February 17, 2000


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