Voting deadline extended due to heavy turnout in Iran's parliamentary elections

Reformists say large numbers in their favor

February 18, 2000
Web posted at: 11:26 a.m. EST (1626 GMT)

In this story: Ballot counting will take awhile Rallies illustrate differences Reformers count on large turnout Millions of eligible voters Khatami predicts better international relations RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranians were turning out in large numbers on Friday to vote in a parliamentary election pitting reformers promising social and political change against conservatives who want Iran to stick to the ideals of the two-decade-old Islamic revolution.

Long lines formed outside mosques and schools where polling stations were set up and some people waited in line up to 45 minutes to vote. More than 6,000 candidates are running for 290 seats in parliament, which is called the Majlis.

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Due to the heavy turnout, the polling deadline was extended by two hours to handle the backup.

AUDIO CNN's Christiane Amanpour on what the latest exit polls suggest 227k/21 sec. AIFF or WAV sound    VIDEO CNN's Christiane Amanpour went to the polls and spoke with voters. (February 18) Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     TIME Voters make fashion, political statements Analysis: Reform or not? Iran braces for milestone election

Reformers say they expect to take control of the parliament from hard-liners, which would give President Mohammad Khatami more power to implement his promised reforms for individual freedoms and changes in Iranian law.

"Parliament has an extraordinarily important position in the Islamic Republic, especially now that the country has started a new era," Khatami told reporters. "And the more people vote today the more the parliament comes to represent their will."

Khatami cast his vote at a mosque in northern Tehran, next door to the former residence of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the ultimate power in Iran's Islamic government and the hard-liners' main backer, voted in a mosque near his office in central Tehran.

"This is a significant election and I want you to be careful. Elect those who will be helpful to you and to Islam," he told state Tehran radio.

The hard-liners, who now hold a slight majority in parliament, want Iran to maintain the ideals of the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Khomeini, which ousted the pro-U.S. shah and brought the Shiite Muslim clergy to power.

Ballots will be counted by hand, and early results aren't expected until late Saturday or Sunday.

Mohammad Reza Khatami, the president's brother and a front- running candidate in Tehran, predicted on Friday that reformists would garner a clear majority of the votes.

"We predicted before the election that the (reformists) would win a majority and according to our evidence today it seems we were right," Mohammad Reza Khatami, brother of the president and head of the reform ticket, told reporters before casting his vote.

Officials of the reformist ticket told Reuters they had surveyed voters at about 100 polling stations across Tehran. "We are seeing about 80 percent support in north Tehran, and about 60 percent or more in the south," said one aide.

The differences between the reformists and conservatives were highlighted in the styles of campaign rallies on Wednesday. Men and women supporters of the reformist movement enjoyed themselves together in public, singing, swaying and clapping hands to pop music crooned by a former revolutionary guard.

In contrast, a conservative rally, held in a mosque with the candidate preaching the virtues of Islam, was attended by a small group composed of men only.

Voting began at 9 a.m. (0530 GMT) on Friday at more than 36,000 polling stations. In many locations, security was tight.

Under Iran's election laws, the campaign period was limited to one week, forcing most candidates to rely on face-to-face meetings with voters. Color posters, loudspeakers and other campaign techniques standard in many countries all were banned.

Reformers count on the large voter turnout to negate any advantage for the incumbent conservatives. In a statement broadcast on Wednesday, President Khatami called for broad participation, especially by the youth who helped fuel his 1997 pro-reform landslide.

"With their massive presence, the people will not only show their will but also help the president and the government fulfill their promises," said the president. "This unique epic will occur if all the young men and women...take part in the elections."

There are no opinion polls in Iran, but many expect the reformists to do well because of the mounting frustration among ordinary people with the Islamic rule imposed after the 1979 revolution brought the Shiite clergy to power by ousting the pro-U.S. shah.

Since coming to power, Khatami has eased social restrictions and granted greater freedom of speech, despite stiff opposition from hard-liners, who control crucial institutions such as the judiciary, radio and television, and the armed forces.

Sixty percent of Iran's population of about 63 million is below the age of 25. Officials say 38.7 million Iranians, ages 16 and up, are eligible to vote.

Election rules require a winning candidate to receive a minimum of 25 percent of votes cast. As a result, many races are expected to go to a runoff.

Despite a lack of independent polls and the volume of candidates -- more than 5,700 made it past an oversight panel and will appear on the ballots -- reformers say they expect changes in Iran's international and domestic policy after the vote.

Mohammad Reza Khatami said victory for reformers would accelerate improved ties to other national governments, including that of the United States.

Asked to assess the future of ties to Washington, Tehran's estranged former ally, he told reporters: "Yes, I think in future we will have normal relations with the United States, but the time that we can achieve these relations -- I cannot guess."

He said parliament was not in a position to make a quick change in international policy. "But if the reformers win in the next elections, I think many things will be changed and the speed of relations with all countries will be greater than it is today."

Conservatives have pledged to work with the president but want the next parliament to restrain what they are say are ministers pushing too hard for political and social reform.

The hard-line newspaper Jomhuri Islami warned Thursday against electing "strangers" who can do "great damage and deliver an irreparable blow" to the principles of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The Jomhuri Islami said the United States and other "Satanic powers" are hoping for the success of those "who have no motivation to prevent the return of the hellish domination of the United States."

Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran - The Official Site
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Cambridge University Press: Iran factbook
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Essay - Iran Under Khatami

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