Reform leaders struggle for votes

REFORMIST leaders struggled to win at least a substantial minority in parliament as Iranians went to the polls yesterday in elections expected to be dominated by hard-liners allied with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Turnout appeared to pick up in the evening after slow balloting through much of the day. Polling stations at mosques and schools in Tehran that earlier had only a handful of voters saw dozens in line after nightfall. Closure of polls was delayed several hours.

Iran’s reformist movement, which seeks democratic changes at home and better ties with the West, was largely sidelined in the race after most of its candidates were barred from running by Iran’s clerical leadership.