Iranian Students Protest Annulment of Reformist Win in Central Iran

Published June 12th, 2000 - 03:00 GMT

Dozens of Iranian students from the central city of Arak demonstrated in front of Parliament Sunday to protest the annulment of a reformist candidate's win in run-off legislative elections, reported The Associated Press.

The Guardian Council, which oversees elections, overturned the election of reformist Rahman Kargosha on Thursday and awarded his seat to his hard-line rival Hassan Moradi on the grounds of "vote-rigging" in Kargosha's favor, the agency said.

The election for Iran's parliament, or Majlis, was held on February 18th.

Run-off elections took place in April.

Reformist allies of President Mohammad Khatami won about three-quarters of the 290 seats, seizing control of the powerful parliament from hard-liners for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution, said AP.

The Guardian Council has repeatedly been accused of tampering with the votes to boost hard-liners.

The outcome of the elections has intensified a power struggle between reformists allied with Khatami and his program of social and political reforms, and Islamic hard-liners trying to cling to power, according to the agency - Albawaba.com