Hardliners reclaim control of Iranian parliament

IRANIAN conservatives formally reclaimed control of parliament yesterday following disputed elections boycotted by reformists who called the vote a “historical fiasco” in which voters had no free choice.

Candidates considered loyal to Iran’s Islamic rulers took at least 149 places in the 290 seat parliament, which has been controlled by pro-reform MPs since their landslide win four years ago.

That puts conservatives past the 146 seat benchmark for a clear majority. Reformers and self-described independents had taken about 65 seats. The final count is expected today.