Considering his low performance, some analysts doubted Mr. Rafsanjani would be elected as the Speaker, a post he aspired for when he decided to enter the crucial race. "If the pro-Khatami candidates score a decisive victory, the seat of Speaker could go to hojatoleslam Mehdi Karrubi, a former Speaker enlisted by the IIPF" pointed out Mr. Mohammad Heydari, the Editor of the outspoken reformist monthly "Gozaresh" (Report). "However in case Mr. Rafsanjani is elected, he could coerce independent MPs in voting in his favour", he added.

Speaking to reporters, both younger Khatami and Dr. Nouri said their candidates had scored more than 60 per cent of the votes, giving them overwhelming victory over the conservatives.

Voters turned out massively, with more than 75 per cent of the Iranians of 16 and over, lining queuing for hours before the opening time in front of polling stations. In some places in Tehran and Shiraz, the capital city of the southern province of Fars, the birthplace of Iran's and world's famous poets and philosophers like Sa'di and Hafez, some had to wait for more than three hours before casting their ballots.

"Turn out was the heaviest of any other parliamentary elections, comparable only in the number and in people's enthusiasm with that of the last presidential race. People have realised that each vote counts for their participation in shaping their destiny", one voter told Iran Press Service.

Regardless of some minor incidents created here and there by conservatives-controlled pressure groups such as Ansar Hezbollah thugs, the atmosphere was jovial, voting was smooth.

The conservatives did better in the capital's downtown, but even there the reformists did well, better than in the past elections, eyewitnesses told IPS.

"The Middle East and the third world's most vital of democracies is in the making in Iran", one voter said. "Iranians proved once again that they reject this system, by voting for the reformists, they proved that they don't want a tutor, that they reject theocratic authoritarianism", added Mr. Abolhasan Banisadr, Islamic Republic's first elected president who lives in exile in Versailles, near Paris.

According to first unofficial projection made available, an estimated 150 candidates, including 10 out of the 30 MP of Tehran would get elected in the first round. Women made 17 per cent of the total number of voters, the highest ever. Due to huge participation, the Interior Ministry extended the closing time by two hours and yet many voters where still waiting their turn to cast their ballots.

Like in other elections, all senior clerics, starting by Mr. Khameneh'i had ruled voting as both a religious and patriotic duty, urging the population to show up massively.

Many candidates, mostly the lesser known but also those running on reformist lists bitterly criticised the leader's-controlled "Voice and Visage of the Islamic Republic" (VVIR, that is the Iranian Radio and Television) for its biased handling of the campaigning for both taking position for the candidates backed by the conservatives in the one hand and jamming of foreign radio stations with services in Persian language such as the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Israel and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that, contrary to the State-run organisation, would interview none conservative candidates, allowing them to air their views.

The same, and in order to limit the scope of their possible defeat, the conservatives ordered some of their candidates in small towns and in villages to put on a reformist mask, creating confusion, Iranian journalists covering the elections pointed out.