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TEHRAN - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's allies failed to dominate elections for a powerful Iranian clerical body and local councils, early results showed, in what analysts said was a setback to his standing.
Saturday's twin elections for the clerical Assembly of Experts and local councils, the first nationwide vote since Ahmadinejad took office in 2005, will not directly impact on policy.
But turnout of around 60 per cent and Ahmadinejad's close identification with some candidates, particularly in Tehran, suggested a shift towards more moderate policies and away from the President's ultra-conservative line.
Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a moderate cleric, led the count in Tehran for the Assembly of Experts.
Rafsanjani lost to Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential race.
- REUTERS
