TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Candidates backing reform of Iran’s clerically overseen government swept municipal elections in Tehran, taking all 21 local council seats in the country’s capital while moderate President Hassan Rouhani won a second term in office, authorities said on Monday.
Their win in Friday’s election marks the first time reformists have gained total control of Tehran’s municipal council since such votes began in the Islamic Republic in 1999. Iranian media also reported similar big gains for reformists in other major cities.
While their powers are limited to local affairs, the councils represent direct control of governance by Iran’s 80 million people. Having reformists take control signals a groundswell of support for slowly changing the way government works in Iran, and reflects growing discontent with the country’s hard-liners.
“They are tired from 40 years of conservatives’ management style,” said Soroush Farhadian, a Tehran-based political analyst who backs reformists. “People voted for reformists to make their lives happier.”
Municipal councils govern across Iran’s major cities down to its smallest villages, with members serving four-year terms. They choose mayors and decide on budgets and development projects, as well as oversee local cultural and religious activities.