960422

Iran conservative MPs vow anti-Western drive

TEHRAN: Conservatives claimed victory on Monday in elections for Iran's powerful parliament, vowing to tackle economic problems of the poor and launch "serious confrontation" with pro-Western tendencies in social policy.

The Combatant Clergy Association (CCA) announced in a statement carried by several newspapers that it had an absolute majority in the 270-seat house but gave no figures.

Diplomats said that despite the victory claim, the conservative CCA appeared to have failed in its bid to retain or expand its 140-seat majority in the two-stage polls on March 8 and April 19.

The group however had retained its position as the largest single bloc in the assembly and the top political force in the capital Tehran, they said.

The CCA statement pledged "serious confrontation with the cultural offensive of the enemy and liberal and pro-Western tendencies in all aspects with special consideration for the role of women and youth".

In a conciliatory gesture to its centrist rivals, the CCA said it would also support President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's economic development drive.

One Iranian official cautioned: "It's not correct to be categoric about the results at this stage. This is not a Western party system. Alliances can change."

Parliament is one of several important centres of power in Iran's 17-year-old Islamic republic and has not hesitated to slow or block government proposals with which it disagrees.

The CCA has used its current majority to delay reforms proposed by Rafsanjani to liberalise the oil-dominated economy and lift subsidies on food and fuel popular among the poor majority of the 60 million population.

Diplomats' preliminary estimates showed the CCA won about 110 seats, with 80 for its main rival the pro-Rafsanjani Servants of Iran's Construction (SIC). They said 40 to 50 seats appeared to have gone to so-called Islamic leftists with the remainder going to independents and religious minorities.

The result was that no party had an absolute majority and the CCA faced the unprecedented prospect of having to compromise continually with rival groups to pass legislation, they said.

This sets the stage for periodic struggles by the rival blocs to win voting majorities through alliances with independents and leftists during the new four-year assembly session starting on May 27.

"This will be a new experience for Iranian deputies," said one Iranian analyst, noting all previous four assemblies since the 1979 revolution were dominated by one faction or group.

The CCA suspects the centrists of preparing to jettison revolutionary purity in return for economic development that would allow Western ideals to creep in.

The SIC was formed in January by several senior officials including central bank governor Mohsen Nourbaksh and Tehran Mayor Gholam Hossein Karbaschi to back Rafsanjani's moderate policies.

It wants greater private sector and foreign involvement in developing industry in line with World Bank and International Monetary Fund recommendations.

The polls are also important as a platform for next year's more significant presidential poll, when leading conservative and current parliament speaker Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri is expected to offer himself as a candidate.-Reuter