The reformist-dominated Iranian parliament Wednesday voted not to certify the election of conservative Motahar Kazemi as deputy for the northwestern city of Khalkhal, the official IRNA news agency reported.
After 35 hours of debate in the parliamentary enquiry commission, Kazemi's case moved onto the floor of the chamber, where it was rejected by a vote of 138 to 75, with 22 MPs abstaining.
Commission chairman Hassan Ramezanipur said the election of Kazemi was rejected as the result of "multiple complaints lodged against him."
In particular, he said "electoral officials in Khalkhal had not been neutral, nullifying 31 ballot boxes in that district (and) thus erasing Keikavous Paknejad from the list of those elected."
The overturning of Paknejad's election touched off a violent public response in Khalkhal on April 7th and 8th, which resulted in the arrest of 40 people.
The new parliament, the sixth since the Islamic revolution of 1979, is dominated by reformers allied with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami -- TEHRAN (AFP)
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