Tehran: Allies of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seized the largest share of parliament seats in Iranian elections, nearly complete official results showed on Sunday, but he will most likely face a more unruly parliament.

Conservative critics of Ahmadinejad won a substantial bloc in the legislature, highlighting the growing discontent with the president's fiery style and failure to repair the country's ailing economy.

Reformists appeared likely to at least retain the small bloc they held in the outgoing parliament - if not actually increasing it - prompting leaders of the movement to paint the election as a victory since most of their candidates were ejected from the race even before it began.

Iran's clerical leaders cheered the vote, which preserves the lock conservatives have had on the parliament since 2004.

The Interior Ministry reported turnout at around 60 per cent, up somewhat from 51 per cent in 2004 - though not reaching the around 80 per cent that flooded the polls in elections in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when a full slate of reformist candidates was allowed to run and was swept into power.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni, thanked Iranians for their participation, saying they had turned US attempts to discredit the vote "in to a vain bubble." Washington said Iran's leadership had "cooked" the election by barring reformists from running.

Ahmadinejad said the participation "placed the sign of disgrace on the forehead of enemies," the sate new agency IRNA reported.

But the differences among conservatives heading to parliament could prove significant.

If there is a strong bloc of Ahmadinejad critics, "large disputes will flare up" in the coming parliament, said political analyst Saeed Laylaz. "Ahmainejad will not bow to demands by the parliament, and legislators will change his bills based on their wishes." It could also encourage a conservative challenge to Ahmadinejad in presidential elections in 2009.

In 190 of parliament's 290 seats decided so far, pro-Ahmadinejad hard-liners who 67 seat, while a slate seen as representing his conservative critics seized 46, according to individual results announced by state television and the official news agency IRNA.

Reformists won 30 seats according to the results. Another 42 winners were independents whose political leanings were not immediately known. Five other seats dedicated to Iran-Jewish Zoroastrian and Christan minorities have been decided.

Reformist leaders said on Sunday that at least 14 winning independent are pro-reform bringing their bloc to 44 seats so far. If correct, that would be round the size of the reformist presence in the outgoing parliament.

Races for more than 50 seats will go to a run-off vote set for April.

Still unannounced were the results for several large provincial cities - and most importantly, Tehran's 30 seats.

Source : PTI