Conservatives Poised to Win Disputed Iran Election

[denverbill]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=8&u=/nm/20040220/ts_nm/iran_election_dc

TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) - Conservative opponents of pro-reform Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites) seemed poised Friday to regain control of Iran's parliament and cement their grip on power in an election dubbed unfair by Washington.

With polling extended by four hours beyond the official closing time to allow latecomers to vote, an Interior Ministry source told Reuters first estimates suggested a reduced but respectable national turnout of between 47 and 52 percent.

That compares with 67 percent in 2000 when reformers linked to Khatami swept two-thirds of the parliamentary seats. Most prominent reformists were banned from running this time by a watchdog panel of unelected hard-line conservative clerics.

The mass banning of candidates by the Guardian Council has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the vote in Washington and the European Union (news - web sites), which are also alarmed by new reports suggesting Iran may be pursuing nuclear weapons.

<snip>
I love posting stories about conservatism. This is truly the end result of ultra-conservatism. These mullahs in Iran could use the old Testament of the Bible almost interchangeably with the Koran for their crime and punishment section and the way they treat women.

Conservatives think conservatism is all about low taxes, limited govt, and 'family values'. Baloney. Conservatism is all about tradition, and especially religious tradition. Do you think the Iranian mullahs care about limited govt? Do you really think the morality police of the Taliban would be any different than the morality police of the Pat Robertson and Rick Santorum?

[HawkerHurricane]

1. Proof Positive that Theocracy and Democracy don't mix.

The Mullah's(sp) decide which candidates are 'acceptable', then the people get to vote on them.

Which is the opposite of our system, where the people get to vote and the Supreme's get to decide which candidate is acceptable...

[denverbill]

2. Good line.

Of course, being a Dean supporter and conspiracist, I often wonder if the leaders don't pick our candidates too.

[Kagemusha]

3. It's a... "process of elimination".

Destruction is much easier than creation.

[bain_sidhe]

4. Gee, who woulda thunk that when

bush* cut the Iranian moderates off at the knees that the Iranian fundamentalists would regain power, no doubt necessitating our "assistance"...

[w4rma]

5. blast it. (n/t)