New Parliament in Iran has more women than clerics
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a press conference on March 6, 2016 in the capital Tehran. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
Official results on Sunday showed that reformist and moderate politicians allied with President Hassan Rouhani won a big victory in second round parliamentary elections.
In the first parliament that followed the Islamic revolution in 1979 164 clerics were elected.
Some of the country’s most prominent politicians are clerics and have previously been lawmakers, including Rouhani who was an MP between 1980 and 2000.
TEHRAN, Sunday
Iran’s new parliament will have more women than clerics when its members are sworn in this month, a first in the Islamic republic and a sign of the country’s evolving politics.
Official results on Sunday showed that reformist and moderate politicians allied with President Hassan Rouhani won a big victory in second round parliamentary elections.
The outcome saw them outnumber their conservative rivals — many hardliners lost seats — for the first time since 2004 and capped a remarkable comeback for reformists.
After the second round of elections a record 17 women will become lawmakers in the 290-seat Parliament — one more than the number of clerics, which has hit an all time low.
In the first parliament that followed the Islamic revolution in 1979 164 clerics were elected.
Some of the country’s most prominent politicians are clerics and have previously been lawmakers, including Rouhani who was an MP between 1980 and 2000.
Two earlier presidents, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, are also past members of parliament.
However clerical numbers have steadily fallen since 1980 with 153 elected in the second parliament, 85 in the third, 67 in the fourth and 52 in the fifth.
