8 Die in Clashes over Controversial Iranian Election（在线收听）

8 Die in Clashes over Controversial Iranian Election

Patricia Nunan

At least eight people have died in clashes in southern Iran in disputes over Friday's controversial parliamentary election. Early results show that Iran's Islamic hardliners have won by a landslide over the nation's reformist parties, but voter turnout was extremely low.

Officials in Iran's southern town of Firouzabad say violence broke out when people grew angry over an apparent win by a conservative candidate in the parliamentary election. In the town of Izeh, police and protesters clashed because of a dispute over election results.

Iran's Islamic conservatives look set to win control of the 290 member parliament, in an election that continues to generate controversy. The Interior Ministry says just 50.6 percent of Iran's 46 million eligible voters went to the polls, making it the lowest voter turnout since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The ballot was boycotted by most reformist parties after Iran's conservative Guardians Council barred more than 2,300 reformist candidates from running. Reformists call the move an attempt by the hardliners to cling to power.

That assertion was supported by the US State Department, which has said the election was not free and fair.

Speaking in Sunday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi rejected Washington's charge. "We know that Americans are not welcoming real democracy here. What they are saying is only to make some pressure, to make some hue and cries on that. I believe the election was free and legal - that is what I can tell you."

Iran's reformists swept to a two-thirds majority in parliament in the last election, in 2000, on promises they would liberalize society. But their moves have met with staunch resistance from hardliners, including the Guardians Council, an unelected body which can veto parliamentary decisions.

But analysts say those failures have brought about disillusionment throughout Iran, and apathy by voters, including 28-year-old Reza. He said he does not trust the results of the election because there is no difference between reformists and conservatives, they are all the same. He adds that everyone his age thinks the same way.

Final election results are expected in the coming days.

注释：

clash [klAF] n. 冲突，撞击声

Islamic [Iz5lAmIk] adj. 伊斯兰的，伊斯兰教的

hardliner [hB:dlainE] n. 强硬路线者

landslide [5lAndslaId] n. 压倒性的胜利

turnout [5tE:naut] n. 出席者，出席人数

controversy [5kCntrEvE:si] n. 争论，辩论

Interior Ministry  内政部部长

eligible [5elidVEbl] adj. 符合条件的，合格的

poll [pEul] n. 选举之投票

ballot [5bAlEt] n. 投票

boycott [5bCIkRt] vt. 联合抵制

Guardians Council  监理人理事会

cling to  依靠，坚持

State Department  （美国）国务院

Foreign Ministry  外交部

make some hue and cries  大喊大叫

liberalize [5libErElaiz] 自由化

staunch [stC:n(t)F] adj. 坚定的

veto [5vi:tEu] vt. 否决，禁止

disillusionment [9dIsI5ljU:VEnmEnt] n. 觉醒

apathy [5ApEWi] n. 冷漠