Iran’s conservatives bolster power; reformists gain too

TEHRAN — Conservatives consolidated control of Iran’s legislature in runoff elections, but opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also gained strength, according to final results released Saturday.

The conservative majority in the 290-seat parliament is divided between supporters of Ahmadinejad and opponents who say he has mishandled a nuclear standoff with the West and concentrated too much on fiery, anti-U.S. rhetoric while neglecting the economy.

Within the conservative bloc, Ahmadinejad’s supporters added 27 seats to the 90 they won previously. His moderate opponents gained 11 on top of 42 from the first round in March, according to the Interior Ministry.

Reformists, who favor greater democracy, closer ties with the West and reducing the clergy’s powers, made a respectable showing even after most of their candidates were barred from running.

They added at least 15 seats to the 31 they won in the first round, a gain of six from the outgoing parliament.

Independents picked up 32 seats on top of 39 they won in the first round.

Results for three seats were annulled for unspecified reasons.

The Guardian Council, an unelected body of clerics and jurists, disqualified about 1,700 candidates, most of them reformists.