In Iran, supporters of President Mohammad Khatami's reformist policies appear headed for a major victory. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from Tehran that results have been announced for one-third of the seats, primarily in rural areas, and reformists already have taken the lead. Election officials say voter turnout in Friday's parliamentary elections was heavy, approaching the record set in presidential elections three years ago.
Preliminary returns indicate voters have delivered a clear call for change.
The government is announcing the winners by name only and not by political tendency. However, Iranian experts who are following the tally say reformist and centrist candidates appear poised to gain control of the new parliament for the first time since the revolution. They say conservatives should win about one-fourth of the seats. Interior Minister Abdulvahid Mousavi Lari Saturday praised the vote, saying although the campaign was competitive, everyone has displayed tolerance of the results. The minister said both the minority and the majority have accepted to be bound by the rules of the political game.