Iran names second round election date

The second round will take place in 52 constituencies

The second round of the parliamentary elections in Iran will be held on 5 May, Iran's state radio has reported.

Quoting an official announcement by the Interior Ministry, the radio said the second round will take place in 52 constituencies where candidates failed to achieve 25% of the total votes cast in the first round.

The report said the ministry had reached an agreement with the elections control body, the Council of Guardians, which last week rejected a proposal to hold the second round on 28 April.

Votes in Tehran were recounted

The first round, held in February this year, resulted in a sweeping victory for reformist supporters of President Mohammad Khatami.

They defeated the conservatives who are majority in the outgoing parliament.

Election validated

On Tuesday, the Council of Guardians announced that it had validated the election of 185 candidates from the first round.

Nine other candidates were overturned.

But the results for the 30 seats in the capital, Tehran, are still in doubt.

All but one of the Tehran seats were initially attributed to reformists headed by Khatami's brother Mohammad-Reza.

But after a third recount the Council of Guardians said there were significant discrepancies.