Ultra-conservative allies of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are trailing moderate technocrats in the race for Tehran's municipal council, with reformists also winning seats, partial results showed. Allies of moderate conservative mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf were on course to be the biggest faction on the 15-member council with a total of seven seats, according to partial results based on 8.5 percent of the 2.2 million ballots.
Independent candidate Ali Reza Dabir, a renowned wrestling champion close to the technocratic Qalibaf, was also in the running for a seat.
Four reformists were also in line for seats, a marked improvement from the last local elections in February 2003 when they lost all their places on the formerly reformist-dominated council.
Only three candidates from Ahmadinejad's "Sweet Scent of Service" list were in the top 15, including his sister Parvin who was trailing in 11th place.
The reformists were placed well in third, eighth, ninth and tenth positions. The pro-Ahmadinejad candidates were in 11th, 12th and 15th position.
The race was being led by the current head of Tehran city council Mehdi Shamran and former police chief Morteza Talaie, both allies of Qalibaf.
The results for Tehran's municipal council, seen as a bellwether of future political trends, are among the most closely watched of Iran's twin elections on Friday.
Dominated by reformists until 2003, it is now in the complete control of conservatives.
