Middle East News
Iran holds second round of parliamentary elections (Roundup)
By DPA
Apr 25, 2008, 13:48 GMT

Tehran - Iran on Friday held the second round of parliamentary elections in which 164 candidates were competing for the remaining 82 seats in parliament, including 11 for the politically important Tehran constituency.

The voting started at 8 am and was supposed to end at 6 pm (0330 - 1330 GMT) but, as expected, the period was extended by two hours nationwide. According to the interior ministry, results would be announced on Sunday.

The popular attendance in Tehran was much lower than the 50 per cent in the first round last month, witnesses throughout the capital said.

Almost 44 million Iranians over the age of 18 are eligible to vote but turnout is expected to be much lower than the almost 51 per cent who voted in the first round.

In the first round of elections on March 14, 208 of the total 290 deputies gained the necessary 25 per cent of the votes and have been elected directly. In the second round, a simple majority would suffice.

The conservatives took more than 60 per cent of the seats and the remaining seats went to reformists and so-called independents.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the first Iranian official to cast his vote. The leader, who constitutionally has the final say on all state matters, called on Iranians to finish what they started in the first round of elections on March 14.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cast his vote in the Imam Jafar Sadeq mosque in western Tehran.

'Elections reflect the will of the people and can not only affect local but also international developments,' Ahmadinejad said.

The people in the mosque approached Ahmadinejad and asked him when the economic problems of the country, currently the main problem, would eventually be solved.

Ahmadinejad replied that that he and his ministers were seriously following the issue and would soon find solutions for the economic problems which have in the last two years led to an inflation rate ranging between 20 to 30 per cent.

The economic problems in the country have so far led to the resignation of both the minister for finance and head of the Central Bank.

The president is blamed by his opponents for not availing himself of expert advice to assist with economic planning.