'Decisive defeat' for president-reformers in Iran polls

TEHRAN: Iran's biggest reformist party on Monday said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had suffered a ''decisive defeat'' in nationwide elections last week due to his government's ''authoritarian and inefficient methods''.

The government's spokesman countered that by saying the government had no favoured candidates in Friday's twin votes for local councils and a powerful clerical body known as the Assembly of Experts and was happy to work with the winners.

Political analysts said the elections, the first since Ahmadinejad's stunning 2005 presidential win, would have no immediate impact on policy in the Islamic state where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the last word on all matters.

But a poor showing for allies of the anti-Western president could give a stronger voice to more moderate voices in decision-making in future.

Vote counting in the major battleground Tehran continued for a third day on Monday, prompting government critics to express fears the delay could indicate possible tampering.

The results that have been announced suggest that moderate conservative and reformist candidates had, on the whole, fared better than close allies of Ahmadinejad although no one group could claim outright victory.

''The initial results of elections throughout the country indicate that Mr Ahmadinejad's list has experienced a decisive defeat nationwide,'' the pro-reform Islamic Iran Participation Front said.

''These results were tantamount to a big 'no' to the government's authoritarian and inefficient methods,'' it said.