Conservatives keep grip on Iran parliament in vote

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TEHRAN, Mar 16 (Reuters): Conservatives were set to keep their hold on Iran's parliament, early election results showed, but the legislature may still give President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a harder time ahead of next year's presidency poll.
Conservatives have taken 120 seats in the 290-member assembly against 46 for reformists so far, the state Press TV station has reported, citing the Interior Ministry.
In another indication of conservative dominance after many leading reformists were barred from running, conservatives were ahead for all of Tehran's 30 seats as counting progressed, state media reported Sunday.
"The people have again given (conservatives) control of parliament," the hardline Kayhan daily said on its front-page.
The Interior Ministry, which supervised Friday's vote, has said a final nationwide tally might not come out until Monday.
Many reformists, trying to capitalise on public discontent over inflation, were disqualified from standing in the polls, but they expect Ahmadinejad to undergo sharper scrutiny even in a parliament dominated by their conservative rivals.