DATE=5/4/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=IRAN / ELECTIONS (L-ONITER)
NUMBER=2-262002
BYLINE=DALE GAVLAK
DATELINE=TEHRAN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
/// EDS: POLLS OPEN AT 9 A.M. LOCAL, 0430 UTC ///
INTRO: Iran is holding a second round of elections
(today/Friday) to fill 66 of the 290 seats in its new
Parliament. Reformers who support President Mohammad
Khatami were the big winners in the first round of
voting, three months ago, but they are still short of
the two-thirds majority they need to convene the new
Parliament. Dale Gavlak reports from Tehran.
TEXT: Iran's parliamentary elections in February gave
a landslide victory to pro-reform candidates. Over
225 seats were decided then in favor of reformers
allied to President Mohammad Khatami, who won over 75
percent of the total vote.
But some results were annulled by Iran's hard-line
Guardians' Council, the election watch-dog. The same
body is still sitting on [withholding] announcing the
results from Tehran, where votes are being recounted.
It was initially believed that reformists won all but
one of 30 seats in the capital, but conservatives
filed complaints about the accuracy of the count.
Today Iranians are heading back to the polls to vote
again in places where the results were indecisive.
President Khatami's reformers need a two-thirds
majority to convene Parliament. They are eight seats
short.
The country's most prominent opposition leader,
Ebrahim Yazdi, explains the importance of the vote.
/// 1st YAZDI ACT ///
If they approve [the voting results in] Tehran,
[it] means that then immediately after[wards] --
next month, in June -- the new Parliament could
convene. But if they don't approve the other[
election result]s, then the new Parliament will
not be able to convene, because they [the
reformists] don't have the two-thirds majority
required by the law.
/// END ACT ///
Many observers believe Iran's hard-liners are angling
not to have the (Sixth) Parliament even open, but Mr.
Yazdi does not think they will succeed.
/// 2ND YAZDI ACT ///
Altering some results is possible, but [as] to
preventing the convocation of the new
Parliament, I think that is not possible ...
although some people may try to do it.
/// END ACT ///
The Guardians' Council's cancellation of some first-
round election results brought protests and arrests
around the country. The town of Damavand, outside of
Tehran, had its results annulled. People there are
furious. They say that although their pro-reform
candidate clearly won, the conservative incumbent
managed to get the vote cancelled, leaving them
without a representative to the new Parliament.
(Signed)
NEB/DG/WTW
04-May-2000 15:22 PM EDT (04-May-2000 1922 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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