CIAO DATE: 09/2008
February 2008
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
As Iran's March 14 parliamentary elections approach, the prospects for the reformist/technocratic coalition are predictably bleak. Yet, President Mahmoud Ahmadinezhad is expected to lose ground as well. Although his conservative critics are likely to pick up a significant number of seats, the big winner will be Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose role as arbiter and decisionmaker will be reinforced even more.
Resource link: PolicyWatch #1342: Iran's Parliamentary Elections: Assured Victory for the Supreme Leader [PDF] - 13K